My Way: Kanto
by Vulpes14
Summary: Albert Brown died. He was reborn in the Pokemon world. For the past ten years, he has lived a new life here. However, he hasn't forgotten his original life or family. Now finally able to go on a Pokemon journey, he will do anything to get back. No matter the cost. (OC)
1. Chapter 1

Pallet Town

"The subject has what seems to be a deep shade of green in its leaves indicating a high chloroplast count. The subject also seems to have little muscle growth within its legs that could be evidence of lack of exercise or activity."

A disapproving grunt sounded behind me. "I take it you find Oddish's lack of effort to be less than stellar, hmmm Machop? Or is the fact you were nominated to carry my recorder and notebook," I smiled as I swiped some of my brown hair out of my eyes.

The Machop merely turned his head in a noncommittal gesture. I merely laughed and returned to examining the Oddish. Machop was partially right in his judgment. Oddish really should be more locomotive but it hardly matters since she isn't a battler, not that a Fighting-type would understand.

"Now Oddish I know you don't really to be at the same level as a great battler as say Machop." Another grunt went off behind me. I smiled at that. Machop was easy to mess with and was too good-natured enough to every truly be offend which always made him my preferred partner in my studies.

"But honestly you need to gain a bit more muscle mass, so I'm going to recommend Professor Oak give you a higher protein feed for a month joined by you joining the morning walk group."

I got a whine for that one.

"Now don't give me that. If you weren't simply basking all the time we wouldn't have to do this in the first place. It's only a month and if you stay at it you will be back to sunbathing in no time. Maybe if you push yourself you might even evolve. How's that sound?"

The response I got was expected. Oddish simply wilted and waddled off likely to find a patch of sun. I gave out a little sigh. While many Pokémon were pushed by the motives of getting stronger there always exceptions. I had noticed that certain species like the Oddish line tend to lean the more pacifistic route. They were still Pokémon, however, and perfectly capable of whopping my cute little butt. Not that I expected that while I was on the Oak Ranch. Even the most dangerous residents had known me for years now and generally ignored me unless I stupidly disturbed them. Usually, a stampede of Tauros beats ten-year-old no matter how smart they may be so I still played it safe.

"Well, Machop you ready to head back to the lab. I think we are done here."

My recorder and notebook were quickly shoved back into my arms as Machop stalked back to the lab. While very diligent Machop absolutely hated being a pack mule, even if he only held my things for a few minutes at a time.

Machop was the Pokémon that Prof. Oak loaned me to assist while I conducted research around the ranch. Machop would much prefer to be out on a trainer journey but sadly for him, he was not high on desired starter lists.

I had been working on the ranch since I was four. Having what seems like a genius level intellect tends to open doors. I knew that you can be the smartest person in the world, but if you have no knowledge to back it you're essentially useless.

While I mused to myself I saw Machop doing what he usually did when we went out. He fought everything. Not everyone mind you, every THING. The occasional Pokémon was his preferred opponent, but he was not against going the trees and rocks that littered the area.

While it exasperated the many other assistants on the ranch, I found it endearing. Machop was a lab-raised fighting type. This was essentially a death sentence to a fighting type that desired to belong to a trainer. Wild Machop were raised and trained by their parents and the harsh environments while lab raised Machop tend to have the instinct but not the training needed to truly excel. Now even wild fighting types need a true Master to unlock their potential, but lab raised generally were stuck at a lab.

Unlike the other assistants, I desired to be a trainer. I could identify with Machop. I had been put down because no one expected anything from me, too. In Machop I saw two things: myself and an untapped potential. Being at Prof. Oaks had allowed me to examine a multitude of fighting types. None had the desire to fight like Machop. No doubt the enjoyed battling and lived for the fight, but Machop would die for the fight. For both of us, it wasn't about winning or losing, even if winning was the goal, it was about the thrill of combat. The feeling of meat against our fist. The pain we felt from being hit. The euphoria of throwing everything at your opponent. You can't teach that. You either have the desire or you don't. We had it.

"You're daydreaming again Al," chuckled Prof. Oak. I looked up at my boss/mentor and smirked at him.

"It's internal conversation sir. It's a requirement since I'm unable to find stimulating conversation."

"You talk to the Pokémon and me plenty though."

"What does that tell you about the rest of the staff," I said giving a little grin. He tried to frown at that, but he found it hard. All smart people are arrogant. Even the kind ones like the Professor who hid it better than others.

The other assistants were not stupid. Far from it. If one wanted to work for the illustrious Oak, you had to be the best baring those that got their doctorate in the other regions. Now Pokeology, the study of Pokémon, had always been around. However, Oak making the Pokedex was like when Charles Darwin published 'The Origin of Species', it changed everything.

"Now Al do play nice. I know you're leaving for your journey tomorrow but do try not burn any bridges before you leave."

"Oh, it's fine Professor. Everyone loves me." Right then one of Oaks better assistants walked by. "Watch this. Hey Hallsey, your observations on Poliwhirl would be useful if you actually got in the mud instead sitting on the bank!"

"And you would actually be helpful to us if you filed a report that followed the standard!" she yelled as she continued moving to go inside the lab.

"Pssh. My reports don't need to be perfect. They just have to be legible," I smiled to Oak. He proceeded to roll his eyes. My relationship with the rest of the lab was pretty set. If they were new they hated the fact, someone, my age was so favored, while the veterans like Hallsey just treated me like the rest of the staff. A member that couldn't go out drinking with them despite how much I enjoyed rum.

"I'm more worried about your interactions outside of Pallet," smirked the Professor.

"My momma raised me with manners. I just choose to interact my own way despite that."

"Well, you better go and see her then. I believe she is making your favorite." I flinched at that. Caroline was fantastic. A good mother, but she wasn't my momma.

"Thanks. Let me go turn in this report."

"Oh, just tell me. It will be quicker," smirked Oak "I predict a two-sentence report."

"Professor I'm appalled. It is at least three. Oddish is healthy. Needs to walk more and sunbathe less. Protein enriched feed for a month and join the morning walk group for muscle growth in legs."

"Truly your quick reports are both a joy and bane to my lab."

I smiled at him as I walked away. "Remember don't tell Machop about tomorrow okay. It's a surprise."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Al. He will be ecstatic." I had told the Professor of my plan weeks ago. While I could have gone with a rarer starter or even my preferred type, I knew Machop would never let me down. Besides, I enjoyed teasing him far too much.

"I will see you tomorrow sir. When do you want me over?"

The professor was already perusing my notes now. I take good notes. They are just a bit…scattered. Thankfully he's had six years to get used to my writing. "Whenever you want is fine Al, you're leaving a bit before the training season starts so there isn't any rush."

"See ya tomorrow Sam," I yelled as I quickly ran home. I gave a quick yelp as I felt something hit me in the back of the head. I smiled as I kept running home. The professor let me get away with a lot, but he drew the line at the over-familiar use of his name. Only at work though, he didn't want to show too much favoritism.

I started down the dirt road to my house. I always like Pallet Town. It reminded me of home. Small and cozy. Everyone knew everyone if mostly because many of the citizens worked on the ranch.

xxx

So, the elephant in the room that I'm just going to get over with. I'm not from Kanto. I was not originally born in the Pokémon world. Now don't get me wrong I was born here. The second time.

My name is Al Brown. I was born in 19XX in Olivine City the second time and in 1994 in Texas the first. At some point, I died in my sleep at the age of 24 and was reborn in the world of Pokémon.

That's a bit of a bombshell. Yeah, I got over it quickly. Its hard to have an existential crisis when you're crapping your pants for a year. That was the worst part of being reborn. I was aware of everything.

By the time I was two though, the world didn't know what hit them. I was smart in my past life so add about half a decade of absorbing as much knowledge has done me well. That's why I went to Prof Oak when we moved to Pallet. Once he realized I was a "child" genius he snatched me up.

I've enjoyed my time on this earth, but the thing is I didn't want to die. I love my family. I miss my family. My dad is my best friend. My momma is the greatest mother of all time maybe not the best person but hey I had to get my asshole tendencies from somewhere. I even miss my brat of a sister.

I say this because not a day goes by where I'm not working towards my goal, to get back home. Thankfully Pokémon had a lot of reality warpers, so they just might be best chance to get me home.

xxx

Now the Pokémon world we were shown as kids in games, manga, anime, etc. are not the exact same as the one I live in. The differences are many, so I will cover them as it comes up. You didn't learn about the real world in one go. Learning is an organic process. So why am I saying this to myself? Simple, I'm a bit insane and if I don't talk to myself I will go even more insane.

Breaking me off from my little brood session, not too proud to admit I'm a whiner, I heard my mother call out.

"Al! How was your day, honey?" called out Caroline Brown, my second mother. Like I said Caroline is great. I love her like a second mom. I'd have to after a decade of being cared for by her, but she would never be my momma. I acted like a little cuss from about birth to three but I quickly realized that this woman didn't understand what I was or who. I was just her baby boy and I couldn't stand to break her heart by anything else otherwise.

"It was great Mom. Honestly, I'm just too excited for tomorrow. I've been waiting forever for this."

"Excited for your Pokémon journey just like your father," she cooed. I legitimately frowned at that. I did not like my second father. He wasn't a terrible person just he was a cold person. Very judgy which rubs a guy the wrong way. I loved Caroline but this second dad was just kind of prick that was never around. There wasn't a doubt Caroline and he loved each other but I'm not exaggerating when I say I've spent more time with Samuel Oak than him.

"I'm going to miss Pallet. I've enjoyed living here," I hummed.

"Well, a home will always be here, even if your father gets that promotion like we are hoping. I'm sure Samuel will gladly house you." That was always a thing about my father. He was always trying to climb up the League administration chain which led to moving a lot. We were lucky that led to Pallet after Olivine, but I knew us moving again was a matter of time.

"Now go feed the chickens and wash up dear. I've made your favorites."

"Thanks, Mom. I will be back quick." So, first clarification. Regular animals and Pokémon coexist in this world. How do you ask? Well, several ways to start with. Pokémon dominate the planet no doubt and certain real-world animals either died out or never existed, to begin with. Lions, tigers, and bear simply lost to the stronger more powerful Pokémon in most areas. While cows, chickens, fish and other commonly ate animals got protected by humanity on account they taste so good. We still eat Pokémon because honestly there are so much more of them, and they taste good too. Torchic nuggets are a little tough compared to chicken in my opinion though. Flying types ate actual worms and Caterpie. Water types ate fish and Magikarp. The examples go on forever. We had chickens in Pallet for the eggs. Which ironically I did back in Texas. I couldn't get Caroline to swing for an apiary, however. You win some you lose some.

I feel like I should have been more excited to go on my journey. As a kid, the first time, I constantly dreamed about this. Now I just had a loose plan. Find a Legendary that had enough deus ex machina power to get me home. Sadly, Legendries lived up to their name in this world. They existed there was no doubt, but you would be lucky if anyone in three generations of a family saw one. So, my plan is to go off the games plots to get to one. As far as I could that might work. Plan B is become a Champion and use my resources. Then there is plan C. I had a bad feeling about C, but it might lead to more good deeds done for the world. This wasn't my world but I'm not going to leave it a charred mess to get home. All life is sacred you know.

xxx

That night Mom and I ate Pasta a la Tepig which is fancy for butter noodles with pork. I then made sure I spent the rest of the night cuddled up with her on the couch watching TV. It didn't matter what. I learned in my first life how hard it was for my momma to see me off to college, so I gave Caroline as much time as possible. This wasn't for me. This was for her. Moms are our biggest supporters. The good ones anyway. That is probably why I dislike my father so much. I hate bad parents. If I hadn't already had great parents before I bet the prick would have caused me some developmental problems.

Tonight, wasn't about him or even my first parents. This was for Caroline. She had spent a decade taking care of me, even if as soon as I learned to walk it wasn't really needed. Parents aren't always who birthed you or raised you. A family is people who care and love each other despite everything about you being crap. I'd miss Caroline, but I had too many people that were waiting for me. As much as I hate the saying, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. I hate it, even more, when I must choose between people I love.

I woke the next morning in my bed. Caroline must have carried me up here. My stuff was already laid out. Camping supplies in addition to basic trainer supply such as potions and poke balls. Spare clothing and tools as well all in a handy Silph Storage backpack. While this world was quite as dominated by humans across the globe, they had maximized space and became innovative with their technology.

Due to Pokémon being more susceptible to biological change due to the environment and other external factors they evolved to have well evolution. Therefore, they conquered the planet instead of regular animals. It's said that Pidgey from fifty years ago vary greatly from Pidgey bred in the wild today. It has led to many problems in dealing with Pokémon, but thankfully humanity was full of tech geniuses. Because Pokémon are so susceptible to external change they have a higher electromagnetic signature than other organisms. The poke balls can take this signature, read it, break it down to it base level and store it inside itself. If it sounds like pseudo-science that's because it totally is. I said it didn't seem logical when Sam explained it to me, but it seemed to be something I just couldn't get. I'm a biology history guy, not a tech wiz.

Besides the science mumbo-jumbo of poke balls, Silph Co. had somehow found a way to make either pocket dimensions or something in a backpack. That's this worlds explanation for having a bag that can fit a bike, a tent and if your willing to shell out the cash a full table set.

I stretched a bit followed by my morning cleaning ritual and looked at the time then groaned. It was six am. While the professor was likely up, he probably wouldn't be thrilled to deal with Al this early in the morning. I just got dressed in what was to be my uniform for the next few months. Uniform is probably a bit much but there is a reason everyone wears the same clothes every day in the anime and it's not due to it being easy to animate. Okay, it is but there is a reason for here too. Simply put trainers are out in the wild for months at a time so they need clothes that can endure most weather conditions and last through the wear and tear. These trainer uniforms got expensive so most bought in bulk. I went with several pairs of jeans with various collared shirts that you may know as a polo. I had combat boots made from Druddigon hide and a black full zip jacket with a hood.

I piddled around my room for a bit until I smelled Caroline's cooking. That was as good a cue head downstairs as any.

"Good morning, sweetie. How did you sleep last night?"

"Like a log Mom. Thanks for carrying me to my room."

"Oh, it was no trouble hon. You looked too cute disturb."

"I'm not cute," I growled through the bacon. You got to let a twenty-four old keep his dignity even if he is only about 4'5 now.

"Oh, forgive me. You are a big bad trainer now. You don't need me mothering you now," smiled Caroline. "Maybe that's why I packed your bags for you last night."

"I did not ask you to do that, but it is appreciated," I whined out. So, I haven't matured in the 10 years I've been given. Sue me. Moms are annoyingly good at the caretaking game. Respect them for their mom sense. Caroline while not a genius, she had a quick wit that was usually able to match my own.

"Will you go straight to your journey after the ranch or can I expect you for lunch?"

"We will be here for lunch and head out for Viridian then."

"That's perfect. I can do a little trading while you're gone and then make a few snacks for you and your new partner. What Pokémon are going to pick anyway?"

I smiled a wide toothy smile "It's a secret."

"Oh, fine then you little stinker. What time do you need to be there?"

Glancing to the clock I saw it was 7:20 now. "I can probably finish breakfast and head over."

xxx

Caroline spent the next hour grilling me about my starter. She made great guesses going for mostly ground types on account they are my favorite type. If I was going to specialize they would be it. I'm not going to specialize though. To become a Master of a type takes time and dedication and time I don't have. A champion just needs to win a League tournament. Far easier than the decades of training a team to the point that they transcended type disadvantages like the Elite Four and Grand Champions of the various regions.

I was tempted to get a Nidoran I told her. Nidoking is my favorite Pokémon. Strong and bulky with a lot of versatility, but my heart was set on Machop. My gut said to go with him and I trust my gut. It's a good gut.

I entered the lab seeing a few of the assistants milling about. A couple of the vets were shooting the breeze over coffee while the newer lab coats rushed around to get everything ready for the day. Typical for any workplace really. I smiled at the ones I liked and smirked superiorly at those I didn't. Not that it mattered I was gone after this. I might keep in contact with Sam and others like Hallsey, but I had always been closed off from others. My goal was to leave this world. I didn't want to hurt anyone more than I had to.

Walking to the Professor office I saw Machop standing outside holding my recorder and notebook. I smiled. He had a frown on his vaguely human face but still always diligent in everything. He was a great support.

'A support? Hmm…'

"Morning, Machop. How are you this morning?"

I got a grunt and my stuff shoved into my hands. I smiled as I placed them on the table closest to me. He raised his eyebrow at that. We honestly were more acquaintances than friends, for now, but even he knew how much I valued my notes.

"Come on. The Professor has something to discuss with us," I said as I gave him a knowing smile. Machop was very wary of me now. He knew I would never go out of my way to hurt him, I had nothing against embarrassing him. Fighting-types are honorable and while I have a code of honor myself I only apply in certain contexts. It makes me a bit of an enigma for Machop. I enjoy it quite a bit.

We both strode into Prof. Oaks office where he was doing what he usually did at around eight am. He was asleep. Now the professor isn't lazy. He probably passed out four hours ago if it was a good night. Sam had a bad habit of overwork. You know the saying "if you love your job, you never work a day in your life."

"Wake him up, will you Machop." Machop gave an evil smile at that

While honorable, Machop had a bit of mean streak about him. Another trait of his I liked. While usually such little pranks got aimed at me due to our proximity, no one was truly safe. That included the professor.

Machop walked to right next to Sam as he readied his hands next to his ears. Then far faster than could be seen Machop's muscled hands smacked together in a loud clap that shook the room.

"Graaoohh, wh-what?!" exclaimed Oak.

Machop and I shared a smirk. Truly a great first battle. The mighty Machop defeats the sleeping workaholic. One for the record books. The professor glared at us as we just smiled as innocently as possible and failing at it spectacularly well.

"You two will be perfect for each," he groaned as he rubbed the sleep for his eyes. My smile grew at this while Machops eyes narrowed in not understanding what was meant by that.

"What time is it?"

"A little past 8, sir,'' I repeated back.

"You couldn't have allowed me another hour, Al?"

"Couldn't go to bed at a normal time?" I raised my eyebrow at this. Oak alarm clock duty was usually a new aide job, but I was anxious. Sam consistently overworked himself which led to it being a recurring issue for the lab. You come to Oak ranch to work with THE Samuel Oak, not the sleepy oak.

"Fine, well shall we get along with the formalities."

"Lets."

"Albert Brown…"

"Do you have to use my full name?"

"Yes. Now shush. Albert Brown, you have proven your aptitude, knowledge, and maturity in all things Pokémon. You have gone above and beyond your peers by studying at my ranch and in doing so have earned my personal recommendation for a license to become a trainer."

I preened at this. Hey, I got recommended by Professor Oak. It's a big deal even if a twenty-four-year-old in a ten-year-old body. Does that make thirty-four? Ugh, I'm older than Caroline. I noticed that as Sam said this Machop eyes seemed to turn downcast. He probably thought I was going to be another trainer that left him at the lab. I was going to prove him wrong.

"First I shall give you the most recent edition of the National Pokedex for your work here at the lab."

My eyes shot up at this. Most trainers nowadays got a regional Pokedex for their region and may be upgraded if they were recommended by a League member such as a Gym Leader. The National Pokedex worked like the internet while the regional variant was more like an encyclopedia that gets updated once a year. More information and more communication were the testaments of the National Dex.

"I also shall give you the choice of any my lab raised Pokémon to become your starter? Have you picked one?" Oak said trying to hide his smile. He was just as excited for Machop as I was.

"I have. I choose to be my first partner and friend, Machop."

At this, I saw Machop jaw drop as he stared up at me in disbelief. I just smiled my most genuine smile at him.

"Machop you have worked with me for years. I have seen countless trainers look past you. I want us together to show them how wrong they are. While they never chose you, I want you to know that I'm choosing you over all others. Now I don't someone that is beneath me. I need a partner. A Pokémon that makes me stronger and that I make stronger as a team. Someone I can call a friend. Can we be that?"

Now usually Machop would roll his eyes at such a cheesy speech, but I had never seen so much emotion in his face since I met him. Then after a few seconds as it settled in he stood up straight and slammed his fist into his chest in a salute followed by a bark of affirmation. I repeated his action and saluted as well, and I honestly could not stop beaming. I had waited since I was four (first life) to have a Pokémon and now I was a Pokémon trainer.

"Well, I will be out in the lab if you need me. I'm happy for both of you. I expect great things from you both. Try to say goodbye before you leave," called out Prof. Oak as he left his office."

"Alright, Machop lets set the ground rules."

I got a nod from him and continued. "You want to obviously get stronger and evolve. Correct?" Another nod.

"I want to win a League tournament and show how much better we are. Can we do that?" Another nod.

"Fantastic. Finally, I don't think you want to be rolled in with any ole Machop. Do you want a nickname?"

Machop cocked his head at this and looked down to think. He looked up and nodded his head. I gave a smile at that.

"Good because I have the perfect one for you. You're going to be my support. The basis for my whole team that everything is revolved around. The most important point. There is a name for that. It is called a Fulcrum. That is what you are and if you like your name."

I didn't get the response I liked. Machop crossed his arms and stared at me in what I can only assume in disgust.

"Hey, it has a good meaning behind it. Is it because it's a weird name? My full name is Albert you don't hear me complain…much."

Machop snorted at my name. I got no problem with my name its just no one goes by Albert. My choices were Bert or Al. I chose Al.

"Okay. What if we shorten your name? How about I call you Crum?"

Machop mulled this over. After a minute he looked to me and grunted at me.

Then I clasped him on the shoulder. "Looks we are partners then Crum."


	2. Chapter 2

Road to Viridian City

I gazed down at Crum after our little joining ritual. I was calm and measured on the outside. On the inside, I was much different.

'I got a Pokémon! I got a Pokémon' I sang in my head.

My starter could have been a Magikarp for all I care, this would still be my reaction. This had been my dream since I was 4. I had lived among Pokémon for years now, but to finally have one to call my own was something special. Now it was time to begin my Pokémon journey. If I were a lesser man I would have squealed.

"Come on Crum. Let's go talk to the Professor. I think he has a few more things for us."

Crum gave a nod and followed behind me. We started down the stairs together heading to the Professor. From the flight, I saw him examining a Porygon that was hovering over a computer. It was his new passion project. The artificially made Pokémon had only existed for about a year or two prior to my rebirth and was still being studied extensively. Personally, I found it to be unstable. Give me a biological Pokémon any day of the week over the result of computer code being locked by the general electromagnetic field of Pokémon.

"Professor. Machop and I have decided to become partners. We are ready for our journey."

Sam looked up from his examination and smiled at us. He moved away from the Porygon and started towards the storage room. We followed him as he started to talk.

"I figured that would be the case. I still have a few things to go over and to hand over to you. Did Machop decide a name for himself?"

"His name is Fulcrum."

Crum grunted at me as he lightly bumped my leg. He didn't really know his strength yet and was going to leave a bruise. I wasn't bothered. That was what training is for. Besides, it was funny.

"He prefers Crum though," I said through a smile I aimed at Crum.

"Well, I have heard weirder names. I had a friend once who named her Gengar "Hugs". She has a unique humor that I feel you would enjoy. Anyways, since Crum and you are heading out from my lab, it is my duty to ensure that you are aware of the proper nutrition and care that will be required for Crum."

I rolled my eyes at this. This was the reason I had volunteered at the lab in the first place. While I had plenty of knowledge on Pokémon from my original life, I wasn't quite as knowledgeable about how to care for Pokémon as animals. By this point, I had extensive knowledge on the dietary habits, grooming, and other general issues regarding a majority of Pokémon. Now I didn't have these memorized. I had my notes and more importantly my Pokedex to give the details I would need on any future members of my team.

The Professor didn't notice my look and continued to ramble. I respect the hell out of him, but once he was on a roll he just didn't stop. I guess that was the educator in him. He opened the storage room that held the supplies that were given to new trainers that came out of the Oak Ranch.

"Here are a few bags of dehydrated PokeFeed as well as the high yield protein packs that Crum will need for his growth. Now, this should probably last you about two weeks at most. After that, you will have to buy your own."

He then handed me a few Poke Balls with one being held separate from the others.

"Here are a few Poke Balls to get you started along with Crum's ball. You can return him or leave him out. That is up to you."

I turned to Crum and asked what he preferred. He seemed to like staying out of the ball for the moment. It didn't bother me any.

Not all trainers started out from Pallet town. In fact, most did not even visit the secluded town. Most new trainers set out at age ten to thirteen and tend to hover around their hometowns until they were comfortable to begin their travels to whatever goal they might have. It was a special thing to be an "Oak Starter". The Professor only accepted those who passed his Trainer School courses and showed a certain level of maturity. People paid a lot of money to enter his program. These Acorns, as they were called, were regarded as smarter, more capable and overall superior to the average trainer within the Kanto region. They also had the luxury of a choice among any starter level Pokémon on the ranch which tended to be higher quality than those sold by breeding farms. Some Acorns even became Gym Leaders or Ace Trainers, the general police force of the Indigo League.

"Thanks, Sam. I really appreciate. Is there anything else or more advice," I said genuinely? The Professor was just smarter than me in every way. I'm going to take what I can when I can.

"No Al. You have far exceeded my expectations on what your capable off and I know you shall continue to do so on your travels. Though I wish you would stay here and continue your studies, I understand your desire to run the League Circuit. Though those years are behind me I do remember my battling career fondness."

The Professor's words almost made me tear up a bit. I hadn't seen my real dad in years and my current one was an asshole, so Oak kind of took on a surrogate father/grandfather role for me. Neither of us really planned it, but we kind of feel into it. We never talked about it, but it was kind of an unsaid thing. He really helped me out in those first few years. I had no direction lost in a world where I was a trespasser, but he provided me with an outlet and a place to plan a way home. To him, I was like the son he never had.

In this world, as far as I know, Samuel Oak never had any children. He was too dedicated to his work and never settled down. That meant no Gary Oak. This was startling to me at first. I got my first inkling that this world of Pokémon wasn't completely the same as any I knew of. I still hadn't figured if this was just a mixture of the games, anime, and other medium or something else entirely. The overall concept was the same, however, I still played everything by ear.

"Thank you, Professor. That truly means a lot," I said with obvious emotion in my voice.

Crum gave an amused huff at my sentimentality. I popped him in the head while he continued to smirk at me. The little booger irritated me a bit there. Sorry that a ten-year-old has trouble controlling his emotions. Doesn't matter if my mind is twenty-four. My body isn't, and all its dumb glands aren't.

"Anyways, I may be going for the championship now, but whose to say I don't follow in your footsteps after I get that belt."

The way the Leagues Circuit worked was at the start of the training season trainers would travel the region battling the various gym leaders. Depending on how many badges a trainer would change how the leader battled the challenger. It would be unfair for a beginner to against a leader with the entire might. Gym Leaders tended to be previous League champions and just short of attaining the rank of Master. They help protect the areas surrounding their cities in addition to their League duties. Once the training season was over, hundreds of trainers would converge on Indigo Plateau to take part in the League tournament. The number of badges you had dictated how many placement rounds you could skip and was a representation of one's power. Samuel Oak was the winner of the 12th Indigo League Tournament and expected to become the Grand Champion until he shocked the world by retiring to become a researcher.

"Well, there always be a place for you at this lab for you and your future team. Now you should probably say goodbye to your mother before you hurry off. Though do try to call every once and while. We will miss you here and we'd like to hear how you're doing."

"I promise I will call once I get to Viridian City. Try not to work yourself to death, Sam. I'd hate to see this place collapse without you," I called out to him as I walked out towards the door. He grunted behind me in what I can only assume as humor. I walked by the Porygon and decided to play one last prank before I left.

I got face to face with the polygonal duck and said, "What is zero times zero?"

The Porygon head started to tilt just a bit too far and started to make a whirring noise that could be interpreted as a whine. I smiled and turned around and went face first into Hallsey. She looked down at me with a frown, but I swear there was a little twinkle in her eye.

"I honestly don't know if more or less will get done around with you gone," she huffed.

"Probably a little of column A, a little of column B."

Hallsey crouched to eye level and stared at me for a little bit. She then grabbed me in a hug that I gladly returned. Hallsey was like the big sister I never had. While Sam didn't have time to show a four-year-old how to file science reports or to operate the various devices in the lab, Hallsey took me under her wing and got me started. She still refused to tell me her first name.

"You be safe out there, brat. I don't want to see you on a news story where you got ate by a Pikachu."

"Please, you and I both know that Pikachu primarily eats berries. I'm fine as long as I avoid their Pichu," I said in a not so snobby manner.

She smiled at me a bit and bopped me on the nose. She stood up and proceeded to face Crum.

"Machop try not to let this arrogant brat get you both in some awful situation."

Crum rolled his eyes up at her and nodded. Honestly, I planned to avoid all outlandish situations. Well except for Plan C. Plan C was going to be…problematic.

"His name is Fulcrum Ow! He prefers Crum though," I said while Crum stomped my foot. I hope he didn't he didn't break my toes the little bastard.

"Crum hmm. Well, I suppose it is his choice," she said while looking amused at my pain. Hallsey started to walk back to her work before I called out to her.

"Hey Hallsey, thank you for everything. I really appreciated it."

"Shut up Albert. I'm busy," she said in a dismissive manner

I smiled as Crum and I went out the door. She only called me Albert when she wanted to hide something. She'd miss me, and I just might miss her too.

xxx

Crum was looking at everything as we walked through Pallet. He had never really ventured far from the Ranch prior to this so it was a whole new experience. I was stuck in my own little world planning the future. The first destination was Pewter City. Brock would be a cinch with Crum. Wait, did Crum know any techniques? I pulled out my Pokedex and scanned him.

 _Machop, the Superpower Pokémon. This Pokémon is brimming with muscles. It passes the time by working out in which it lifts wild Graveler and practices multiple martial arts. This Machop knows the moves: Karate Chop, Leer, Focus Energy, and Low Kick. Its ability is Guts. This allows its strength to increase when suffering._

I nodded at this. All Pokémon were born with a few techniques. Techniques were manifestations of the natural energy that Pokémon could tape into. Fighting techniques tended to be used by a Pokémon focusing its strength into a focused area which why they were so damaging to Normal types who merely went for sheer force. The difference between a sword and a club in simpler terms.

Crum gazed at me curiously after I scanned him.

"We got some good stuff to start with bud. We will have to work a bit, but that was a given. You're going to do great," I smiled at him. He pumped his fist in agreement and continued down the road beside me.

I didn't tell him I was kind of lying. Fighting-types are unique in that they need a master to truly become good. The average trainer just didn't have the aptitude or knowledge of martial arts to train them higher than simply giving them commands. To get the most out of his strengths, Crum was going to need a master to help him sharpen his skills be they human or Pokémon. Luckily, I had a little knowledge to get him a step above his peers. He would likely not even be a match for a properly trained Fighting-type, but the more common chafe would be cake to him.

We got to my house as I gestured to Crum to come inside with me. I opened the door and called out to Caroline.

"Mom, I'm home," I yelled out. I heard some shuffling as she came into the living room with a headset on. She held up a finger as she talked into it.

"I'm telling you, Mr. Sakaki, that Silph Co. is big right now. The always are, but they are about to drop something world changing in a few months. I have an insider source. You know I have great sources. You need to buy the stock now in Silph," she spoke into her headset.

So, my father was a big name in the Pokémon League, but the real money maker was Caroline. She was a far as I could tell was a stockbroker for big-name clients. These were generally League officials or the like and it was how she met my father. She was almost always on a call, so she kept busy which was good considering the prick was never around.

"It was a pleasure to talk to you as well Mr. Sakaki. Remember if you do decide to buy, just call me. Goodbye."

"Big sale?" I honestly had no idea about money. I'm a genius, but only in the areas, I care about. Caroline was a monster in the trades world and I knew it.

"Nah, just a consultation. Didn't even give me a real name, but you don't recommend to me unless you have a big bank account. Now who is this?" she smiled down at Crum.

"This is Crum. His full name is Fulcrum, but he seems to dislike it. He's my starter and has been my partner at the lab for awhile at the Lab. He and I are going to take Kanto by storm," I declared triumphantly.

I seem to also succeed in not getting slammed by Crum by calling him his full name. that was good because I was running out of unbruised toes.

"Well, he does look very strong and capable."

Crum puffed up at this. Looks like he is a sucker for a pretty face. Doesn't explain why he is so rough with me then. I'm very cute. Caroline says so all the time.

"So, are you two going to stay for lunch or you all in and out the door?"

"No. I figured this might be our last meal for a while together, so I didn't want to waste it."

Caroline beamed at me and headed towards the kitchen to probably cry a bit and prepare lunch. Moms get emotional with their babies and the cutthroat broker was no different. Crum just looked at me smugly. I glared back at him.

"Don't look so happy now. You will wish for me to be so emotional once we get to training."

He rolled his eyes. Yeah, it was kind of an empty threat to a Fighting type.

I headed up the stairs to get my bag and sort the supplies Samuel gave me into the appropriate packs. When I came down I couldn't find Crum until I heard squawking. I walked into the kitchen to see Caroline laughing as she looked out the window. I looked out into the yard and saw Crum chasing our chickens trying to use Karate Chop on them. I frowned and looked at Caroline.

"I asked him to help by getting a chicken for lunch, but he seems to be having trouble with catching him," she said while trying to stifle her giggles.

I just sighed and went outside. Crum was stalking a chicken as I came up behind him. I chopped him on the head as gave a startled yelp. He turned and glared at me. I just stared at him.

"Looks like our first lesson will be situational awareness," I said as I looked around the yard at the frantic chickens. "Or maybe hitting a moving target," I grinned.

Crum just grumbled as I went to grab a chicken. I surprised him by grabbing one on the first go. I think I got some more respect too when I cut its head off and removed the feathers with no disgust. It's eat or be eaten in this world. While there is the odd vegetarian, they are far and few between. A surplus of edible Pokémon and no viable "fake" meat options has led to a not so economical lifestyle. Those that did live it weren't looked down upon, at least not by me, as they made solid arguments against eating Pokémon and animals alike. I just enjoy the taste, so I eat it.

The Machop line was also carnivorous so a lack of squeamishness with food was seen as a necessity by the species. Hallsey was a vegetarian and it confused Crum whenever she refused meat. It just didn't work within his mindset. I then took the chicken inside, so she could prepare while I grabbed another for Crum. He would need a whole bird and as a Pokémon didn't care if it was raw. I did at least pluck the feathers it for him.

Caroline and I then spent lunch talking about the future and my plans even though we had done so before. We just enjoyed each other's company as Crum chomped on a chicken. Try saying that five times real fast.

After we finished up I cleaned up and got ready to say goodbye.

"Now you be safe okay. Try to eat as much as you can. Call whenever you get the chance. Do try not to be too rude to everyone. You know I love you. You're my favorite. Please, please be safe," rambled Caroline.

I just smiled and hugged her.

"I will. I promise. I will. I will try. I love you too. I'm your only child. I promise, and I never break a promise."

Caroline just looked down with tears in her eyes. She grasped me in one final rib-crushing hug.

"I'm so proud of you. I know you are going to blow everyone away."

She let go and I looked up to her. Once again, I counted myself lucky to have a woman like her to be my second mother. She wasn't Momma, but she was Mom.

"I love you, Mom. I will call when I get to Viridian," I cried as Crum and I turned towards the road. Crum seemed a bit blasé about all this emotion, but he didn't mock me for it. He seemed to understand who this meant more to and he already was favoring Caroline over me.

"I love you! Be safe!" she called as I walked down the road. I didn't turn around. I was starting to tear up too. I'm a kid so my biology is of was all.

Crum and I got to the border of Pallet and Route 1. I faced him and grinned at him.

"This is it, buddy. From now on it is us against the world. I have your back and I won't let you down. Do you get me too?"

Crum gave me a smile from his vaguely reptilian face. He pounded his chest and stepped first into the road and I followed behind him.

xxx

We walked for about five hours until I decided we should camp beneath a copse of trees. I started to set up camp as I asked Crum to find firewood. He groaned at this. He always hated meaningless tasks, but if he wanted a fire he knew to help me with the chores. While he did that I set up the fire pit and my tent. He came back with a pile of sticks that would do to start the fire.

"Thanks, Crum. Now we can start a little training."

He straightened up at that and grinned. I figured he would brighten up at that.

"First I want to see you throw a punch."

He quickly flipped from ecstatic to crestfallen at that. He crossed his arms and huffed at me.

"Hey now. I have a reason for this. Just humor me a bit."

He rolled his eyes and got into a stance. I already saw my first problem. He then readied himself and threw a punch at the air. It was sloppy.

"First thing is first. Your stance is abysmal. You have no stability."

Crum looked aghast at me. He was probably thinking why this small child was critiquing him like this.

"You don't believe me? Get back in your stance."

He did that and as soon as he did I put my hand on his chest and pushed him to the ground. He looked in surprise at me. Now I'm barely an inch taller than him, but I still shouldn't have had enough height advantage to force him down, much less so having enough strength to do so.

"See I shouldn't have been able to do that. You need to widen your stance so that you have more balance especially when you're throwing the punch and after it. You are listening?"

He looked up at with a little annoyance, but a with a hint of respect even if it was a bit begrudgingly. He nodded and sat cross-legged as I continued to lecture.

"Good. Now in everything you do it is the most important that you have balance. If you don't then after every hit, kick, or anything you do gives the enemy a chance to either make a counterattack or get inside your guard. You're stronger than most, but if you happen to be on your butt all the time then you're useless in battle."

Crum grimaced at that, but he seemed to be understanding me at the least. This was probably more insight into his technique than he had ever been given. While other Fighting-types lived on the ranch, none ever seemed to give the time of day to Crum. While no one was sure why there are a few theories. One was it was because he was too young. Another was him being a different species. Mine was that he simply just annoyed them. The rest of the Lab later agreed with that.

He turned his head away and huffed at me. He kept one eye on me though. He wanted training. That was the Machop line's creed so there wasn't any way he would let anything get in the way of that, even his own pride.

"Second, you are wasting energy with superfluous movement. Focus your strength into one point and release it. Be a spear, not a mace. The more energy you put into an attack, the less you have for later in a fight. Then come back into position so you can either block, counter or hit again. Understood?"

Crum nodded along. He was slowly starting to get into it. He would do better by doing, however, so I told to throw another punch. This was much better than before. His stance could use a little work and his punch was far less sloppy.

"Fantastic. That was much better. Remember this: Balance. Focus. Strike. Now I don't have to train you ever again."

He stared at me in horror at me. I laughed at his expression. I was going to enjoy this.

"I'm kidding. Sort of. I'm not a martial artist, Crum. I have a bit of passing knowledge that could you started, but after you work out a few kinks there isn't much I can do. Now I can do battle tactics and directions, but as a Fighting-type your natural battle instinct will trump my own. So, in the future, more often then not, you won't need my direction. As for training with techniques and the like, I can start you off, but we will need a true master to get your potential achieved. You will be better than most, but not the best until then. Got it?"

He seemed to have recovered and looked to be in thought. He stood there for a bit and then looked to me and nodded. I smiled and mentally patted myself on the back. I knew Crum would be a smart ally. He just needed a little polish.

"Okay. Now I want you to throw a hundred punches at that tree using what I said. The idea is to perfect your technique so go slow and think about your actions. Where are your feet? How precise was that strike? Did I leave an opening? These should be going through your head. While you do that I will prepare dinner," I ordered.

The Machop gave me a nod and went to a far tree and proceeded to go through the paces. He seemed to really think his actions out. That was good. I wanted a warrior, not a brute.

While Crum hit a tree, I made his dinner. My dinner was a simple ration bar. It gave me the nutrients I needed while only slightly lacking in flavor. Okay, it tasted like chalk, but there were a few berries in the trees that could clean it out. Crum required a bit more preparation. As a Machop he needed ungodly amounts of protein to replenish his muscles he constantly broke down. It would only go up in amount as he grew, but even now it was a bit obscene how much protein powder I had to put in his water. The high protein feed that the Professor gave me also needed to be heated over the fire to get the right chemical reaction to get the most out of the protein bonds within the feed. While not time consuming, it was my first time doing this, so I made sure to follow the videos on the Pokedex to the letter.

Right when I was finishing up Crum's dinner, he came back to the campsite. He didn't look to be physically tired, but from his eyes, he seemed to be a bit mentally strained. He must have been focusing hard to get like that which pleased me to no end. I prefer hard workers over geniuses any day. That's why I'm a hardworking genius.

"Show me what you got," I told my partner.

He readies his stance, which looked to be leagues better and threw a punch. I smiled as I gave him a thumbs up. There were a few things I saw off, but I knew by now Crum probably felt a hundred more. I could direct him, but he would quickly surpass me in a few nights of this. My job would be to find new ways for him to use these techniques.

"Good. I can already see a huge improvement. Come sit down and eat. I'm sorry if it's terrible. I will get you something better once we get to the Poke Mart in Viridian."

He nodded his head with some obvious pride in his shoulders. He took the food, and protein water and wolfed it down. I stared at him wide-eyed. I was surprised that he one, ate so quick and two that he seemed to enjoy it.

"How can you stand that? It looks like it tastes awful," I said incredulously.

He simply shrugged as he chugged his water with gusto. I honestly didn't know whether to be disgusted or impressed.

"Are you full? I can make you another one if you do. Viridian isn't far, and I can get more."

Crum just shook his head and patted his belly. I shook my head as well in exasperation as I bit into my ration bar. Blech! Chalk and apple flavor. He would probably need closer to his evolution and when he became a Machoke, but he seemed fine for now. Once we got into the less traveled wild areas he could hunt as well. I doubt he would do so bad without the training there unless his chicken wrangling was an indicator of the otherwise.

I smiled at this and finished my bar. Crum seemed to be fascinated by the fire as he digested his food.

"It's fascinating isn't it," I said to him as he turned my direction.

"Something that has so many chemical reactions but is so simple in use. Beautiful, but powerful. Dangerous, but seen as a giver of life. It can hurt a lot of people, but it's too useful to get rid of. I like simple things like this Crum because they are hardly simple. You saw that today. Little things become big things. Right now, we are two little sticks. One day, though, we will be a bunch of sticks that become a fire that the world stares at. We're the start of it. You and me."

He smiled at me while I philosophized at him. He gave me a quick nod and bang his chest. I'm glad he got my message. We weren't a team yet, but we had the same goal and we would grow together.

It was starting to get dark to the point where the only light was the fire and the stars. I looked to Crum and gestured to the tent.

"Would you prefer the tent, your ball, or outside to sleep in?" I questioned.

He pondered a bit before slapping the ground to indicate he wanted to sleep outside. It didn't bother me any. I asked if he would put out the fire before going to sleep. He gave an affirmative grunt and I bade him good night and went to sleep in my tent.

xxx

I woke up a little groggily as stretched out the kinks. I never minded sleeping outside, but it would take a while to get used to. I stepped outside and saw the sun was just peeking over the horizon. Against a tree, I saw Crum snoring as he leaned against it. I thought about asking him to collect wood but decided it would be good to show him equality in these matters. I walked around the thicket collecting the wood. I got back and started the fire. When it was starting to catch I heard a yawn come from Crum.

"Morning, buddy. Sleep well?"

Crum blinked a bit before nodding. He came to sit beside me as I stoked the fire. He always had a curiosity that as a scientist I found refreshing. Once it was sufficiently going I stood up.

"You think you can make your own breakfast, while I pack the camp?"

He thought for a few seconds on this. Probably on whether he could use the human product of a pan. Pokémon just seemed to not have the ability to process use of tools like humans did. While there were exceptions such as Mr. Mimes, this use of tools allowed humanity to become the dominant race among other things.

He then looked to me and nodded. He must have come to the assumption that a pan was not so hard to use. Once I gave him his feed and started cooking, I began to break down camp. After I finished and came back to fire he handed me a bit of his feed. I looked at it and saw it was a little burnt, but probably nothing truly irredeemable. I glanced back at him.

"You want me to have some?"

He shook his head rapidly up and down. He gestured the pan back to me. I grabbed a piece and put it in my mouth.

"Gahhhh! That's awful! I seriously have no idea why you like this," I cried out as tried to wash out the taste with my water bottle.

His mouth quirked up into a frown as he shrugged. He went back to eating from the pan with obvious enjoyment in the act.

I took a ration bar and hoped it would mask the flavor of burnt chalk. A sentence I had never thought I would say. Crum was eating much slower this time, so I busied myself with cleaning up. I was just finishing up when I heard a growl. Both Crum and I turned to the noise.

It was a Shinx. That was not good. This was really not good. Shinx traveled in packs that consisted of a few Shinx, a few Luxio, at least one Luxray. We were screwed if they came through here. Crum could barely throw a punch that was worth a damn and there was no way he could keep up with a Luxray.

The Shinx's hackles were raised as it eyed Crum's food. Crum had set down the pan and was readying for a fight. I did not want him to hurt the baby if momma was around.

"Crum stand down. We don't know if it has pack mates around," I warned.

He didn't seem to like that order, but he held back. I slowly pulled my Pokedex out as I scanned him.

 _Shinx, the Flash Pokémon. This Pokémon generates electricity by the extension and contraction of its muscles. It blinds its foes and flees once they are blinded. This Shinx knows the following moves: Tackle, Leer, Charge, and Spark. Its ability is Intimidate which lowers the desire to attack in opponents._

I scrolled a bit past this to get to the more unique options such as its particular height and weight until I found the one I was looking for, age. I saw that it was about eight months old. This told me it was close to evolution. I was betting this made this particular Shinx a loner. Usually, only male Luxio were run out of the pack, but there had been cases of overly aggressive Shinx being pushed out. I hoped this was the case.

"Crum, can you sense any other Pokémon around us?" I asked tersely.

While still facing the Shinx Crum seem to focus up using senses that I had no access to as human. He seemed to tense up likely to strain his hearing and feeling any vibrations within the ground that as a Machop he had a higher affinity with than other Pokémon besides Ground types. While still focused ahead he shook his head. I grinned. Looks like I'm getting a second Pokémon earlier than I thought.

"Hey, bud. Think he is a good fit for us?" I asked Crum.

He tensed a bit more, but he did turn to face me as he smirked up at me. Looks like were of the same mind.

"Lets Battle! Crum go for Karate Chop!"

Crum charged at the Shinx as his hand glowed with the infusion of energy that was associated with fighting techniques. He swung down as the Shinx launched away in a lateral dodge. It followed with a Tackle that seemed to cause pain to Crum, but he remained tall as he countered with a Low Kick. He caught the Shinx in the forelegs as it fell forward into the dirt as it slammed face first.

The Shinx stood up and started to tense its muscles to develop an electrical field. I identified it as a Charge technique.

"Crum! He's charging up. Watch out for its Spark attack. Use Focus Energy then use Karate Chop."

Crum started to hone his focus as he collected his power into his arms. He charged towards the Shinx but was dodged again as the Shinx seemed to be using the Charge to give it a speed boost. Huh, neat. It seems this Shinx liked to play with its techniques. The Shinx seemed to gather electricity and charged towards Crum.

"Crum, dodge!"

However, Crum was off balance from his miss and got slammed from behind. It looked like he couldn't catch the Shinx. This was the chickens all over again. He rolled forward as electricity seemed to go through his body. I grimaced at what seemed like paralysis affecting him. Then I saw his muscles seem to expand. My eyes grew wide as I then smirked. His Guts ability must have activated. I had a plan. I just needed Crum to pull it off.

"Crum he's faster than you. Keep him in front of you the whole time. If it gets behind you, roll away."

Crum caught this and faced the Shinx with his arms up in a fighting stance. The Shinx charged in a Tackle that was pushed aside by Crum as he threw a punch into the lion cub's side. The Shinx let out a cry as it rolled away. It looked haggard, but Crum wasn't much better. It seemed like both were one good hit away from being done.

The Shinx rose from the dirt as it began another Charge. I had been waiting for this.

"Crum use Focus Energy with Karate Chop. Let him come to you. Keep him in front and strike. Remember, balance."

I got a nod from Crum as he seemed to gather energy into his right hand. Meanwhile, the Shinx seemed to have finished charging up and sprinted towards Crum. It was running in a straight line towards Crum building up a Spark. I guessed right that he was stuck in a straight line when in Spark. Crum just needed to time this right. It was all on him.

The Shinx was barreling towards Crum and leaped at him. Right before he connected though Crum brought his hand down in a chop upon the Shinxs head. There was a bright flash that went off as all the electricity shot off. I covered my eyes and turned away. When I turned back I saw Crum hunched over the unconscious Shinx. He then rose up and let out a victorious yell.

"Way to go, Crum. I knew you could do it," I yelled as I ran to him.

He turned to me and gave me a smile. He then held out his fist to me. I stared a bit and then smiled. I gave him our first victory fist bump. The first of many.

I then proceeded to use a paralyze heal I had on Crum. Normally I'd let him heal off the excess electricity in his system, but it was early in the day and I might need him ready. I then turned to the unconscious Shinx.

I threw a Poke Ball that captured the Pokémon. It shook for a few seconds before it gave a confirmation click. I caught Shinx! I totally didn't jump up in the air in enjoyment either. I'm an adult.

Crum and I cleaned the camp a bit before I released the Shinx. It rose a little dazed. It stared at me and a battle-ready Crum. It growled as it tried to build up electricity.

"Hey calm down. I caught you. You know what that means?"

The Shinx seemed to settle a bit at this but didn't seem complete backdown.

"We beat you. Now I know you left your pack because they saw you as a problem, but I like what I saw in that battle. You lost today. If you come with us though we can make you more powerful than anyone in your pack."

Shinx straightened up at that. The ole tried and true "I can make you stronger" argument. Most Pokémon loved battling and wanted to get stronger. This Shinx seemed to desire this even more than even the usual Pokémon.

"If you come with us there will have to be a couple of ground rules. First, I'm the boss. You listen to what I say, and I promise to not to ask the impossible. Second, we are a team. Despite a few cases, we are equals. We listen to each other and help one another. Now I'm still the boss, but I will listen to what you have to say. Can you agree with this?"

The Shinx sat back on its haunches as it thought this over. I gave it a chance to think this over instead of forcing him along because it was far easier to lead with the carrot instead of the stick. I didn't want to fight both other trainers and my own Pokémon.

The Shinx then stared back at me. He gave a mewl in what I took as a yes. I smiled back at him.

"Great. I'm Albert. This is Crum. When I'm not around he will be in charge."

I rolled my eyes as Crum puffed up at this. The Shinx meowed in greeting to Crum as he responded with a nod. There didn't seem to be enmity between the two over the battle. This was good as this could be a problem with new members of a team I had been told.

"Now Crum has a nickname to better identify him and show he is an individual. Do you want a nickname?"

After a few moments of thought, the Shinx gave a nod. I spent the next few minutes trying out nicknames. Spark, Watt, Thunder, and Snuggly were a few I tried. Crum liked Snuggly. Shinx did not.

"How about Blink? You were moving so fast it was hard to keep up with. I think it fits."

Shinx looked down rolling the name around in its head. He looked up and gave a smile followed by the meow. I returned his smile with one of my own.

"Fantastic. Well, Blink, we are headed towards Viridian City. Do you want to stay in or out of your ball till then?"

Blink stomped a paw on the ground. I nodded at him as I stowed his ball onto my poke ball bandolier. The three began down the path. As we walked Crum practiced with his punches and lifted whatever large rocks he found along the road. Blink, on the other hand, would run off into the grass. He would shock the odd Pidgey or Rattata. He would bring a few of his kills back to share with Crum and I. Electric fried Pidgey isn't that bad.

At about five pm we reached the limits of Viridian City. I returned Blink not trusting the freshly caught Pokémon to cause problems in the city. I headed into the city towards the Pokémon Center. Once I entered the Center, I went towards the receptionist.

"Hello, how may I help you today? she asked me.

"Hello, I would like a room. One bed please," I responded.

"Very well. Here is your room key. If you require dinner, it should be ready in about an hour."

"Thank you very much."

I walked back to my room as I put my stuff away. I released Blink again as he stared in wonder at the room. He ran around the room as Crum and I rested from the days travel. We later had dinner that didn't taste like chalk. After that, we went back to the room and fell asleep with dreams of the future in our head.


	3. Chapter 3

Route 22

Laying flat upon the ridge I was able to gaze into the shallow gorge below without any of the Mankey unable to see me. Amid the monkey fighters was Crum. I had brought him out to Route 22 west of Viridian to train amongst the Mankey that lived in the area. He would learn a lot from one on one matches with the Mankey. If I didn't make myself too noticeable, the pig-faced monkeys would focus on just testing their strength against him in a fair manner. Fighting-types tend to prefer an honorable fight even a Mankey. This changed once they felt threatened, so I merely observed. Crum was fine without me. He was quickly surpassing my limited knowledge of martial arts and the speedier Mankey would help his problems with hitting mobile opponents. Blink had run off into the woods along the route to hunt Spearow. I had planned to observe Crum's form, but the top of my head was soaking wet.

"Stop eating my hair, Shimmer!" I did a quick quiet yell behind me.

Staring back at me blankly was a pair of soft brown eyes. They were cute eyes, but as much as I hated to admit it, there wasn't a lot of intelligence in them. Taking a few steps back from was a Ponyta with a fiery mane that sparkled in blue sparks.

I sighed as I glared at the Ponyta who seemed to have forgotten she had made a mess of my hair a few moments ago. She simply whinnied at me and seemed to smile at me with her closed eyes. I had not planned to catch any Pokémon today, much less this simple Ponyta. I tried to look back through the day as I thought on how ended up here.

xxx

I woke up that morning to see Blink curled up on my chest. He was cute if you didn't account for his ability to shock the fire out of me. My shifting around seemed to wake him though. He stretched out in a very kitten like manner. He then stabbed me with his claws as he stretched and proceeded to shock me.

I cried out as I felt the foreign current course through my body. Then Crum woke up, likely from my yelling, and swatted off Blink. He got between Blink and I and started growling at him defensively. I lifted from the bed and tried to catch my breath. My muscles were still spasming, but it didn't feel like I had any permanent damage. I looked over to Blink who was staring back at me with concerned eyes.

"Crum its okay. It was an accident," I sighed out trying to relieve some of the tension in my body.

Crum eased up a bit while keeping a wary eye on Blink. Blink gave out a few meows trying to apologize to me. I held up my hand and told him it was fine. Crum also looked a bit reproachful for actions too. This one hell of a wake-up.

I got dressed and had my Pokémon follow behind me as we went to have breakfast at the Center cafeteria. They were a bit subdued throughout the meal. Blink for his not controlling himself and Crum for his overreaction and harming a comrade. I had planned on heading straight to Pewter once we woke up, but it seemed like we needed to bond a bit as a team.

This was fine as we were a new team. even though Crum and I had known each other for years we still were feeling each other out as battle partners. I didn't want to get into a trainer battle quite yet either. The Indigo League tournament was in the semi-finals currently, so most trainers were either watching the tournament or at Indigo in person. There were likely a few young trainers who lived in Viridian that roamed the area, but I planned on avoiding them, at least for today.

To the west of Viridian was Route 22. It was called the "Gateway to Indigo". It was the most common road to get to Indigo from within the Kanto region. Its proximity to Viridian led to a lot of new trainers venturing out to train here while further along the route, the closer you got to Indigo, more powerful Pokémon emerged. Route 22 was the rare spot where trainers, new and old, mixed. However, during this time of year, the road would be fairly empty. A perfect opportunity to train without interruption.

"Have ya'll finished eating?" I asked my team. I got affirmative from them both and I then returned them to their Poke Balls. I was about to call Caroline, so I didn't want to be distracted.

I walked up to a phone booth and dialed my house. It rang for a few seconds before Caroline picked up the phone. She was in her normal workwear, pajamas and a headset.

"Hi, Mom."

"Al, honey! You called. I expected you to not call me till you had already made it to Cerulean," she joked at me.

"I made a promise. Besides I'm not that bad," I said with a roll of my eyes.

"Well, I'm sorry for doubting you. Now how long have you been in Viridian?"

"I got in last night. So, I only slept on the road for one night. That morning I woke up to a Shinx in the camp. Crum struggled a bit, but I ended catching him. His name is Blink and barring a few problems appears to be like a good addition."

"that's great honey. I'm surprised by you catching a second Pokémon so early. Congratulations! Where are your Pokémon?"

"I returned them. I didn't want them running around while I was focused on you."

"Hmm well I can understand that, but next time I want to meet the new additions. It's always a pleasure to see Crum too."

"Yes, ma'am."

"I'm glad you called sweetie, but I have a client that's an early riser calling in a few minutes."

"No problem. I will call you in Pewter when I have the badge. Love you."

"I will look forward to it. I love you, Al," she said as she signed off.

Part of me worried that I was too attached to Caroline and would struggle to leave her. That part said that now I was independent that I should cut off contact. Trainers disappeared all the time in the wild. Death was just a by-product of this world's culture even if there were measures to stop it.

My rational side told me to keep in contact though. I was still ten in this worlds eyes so there was a lot more care given to my survival. Plus, my parents were figures within the League if only really known by those associated with the Pokémon League. If I just disappeared they would find me. I didn't have the resources to just drop off the map. Yet.

xxx

I walked through Viridian admiring the city. It was far more urban than you would think. Nice roads the occasional car drove down and signs hanging from the tall buildings that lined the street. While it buzzed with a few passersby's, I reveled in the ease the city put off.

I had been here a few times with Caroline or Sam on previous trips but being here on my own was very liberating. I'm an adult. I do not need my hand to be held both in a literal and figurative sense. The pains of my situation would almost be funny if I wasn't constantly reminded how young I was.

My sour mood I received from thinking about my circumstances was lifted as I saw the Indigo League semifinals play on a screen above my head. Battling wasn't just a sport in this world, it was THE sport. Advertisements interviews the whole she-bang, battle trainers were these worlds celebrities. You didn't have to work for the League to make massive amounts of money battling and the two battlers on the screen were testaments to that.

Janine of Fuchsia was the daughter of Koga, Fuchsias Gym Leader, and had been on a meteoric rise among the battlers in Kanto for the past year. While she was exceptional, her opponent was in a league of their own. That opponent was Will of Celadon.

I knew that in a few years he would be a member of the Indigo Elite Four but that wasn't known by anyone else. It was truly a show watching the budding Master battle. He definitely was a showman by the way he was playing with Janine. She was good, but Will had the type advantage on top of greater experience. All the tricks the young ninja girl concocted fell before Will's abilities.

I turned away and headed out of the city not needing to see anymore. While the battle was exciting, it was pretty much over. Janine put a great fight, but she just had a bad matchup. It seemed like this year's Indigo Champion would be Will even if he still had one more battle. I would watch the replay later tonight anyway.

I stopped by the Poke Mart to get a few things before heading out towards Route 22. I wanted to spend all day training and bonding with my Pokémon. Today was going to be great.

xxx

Today was terrible. As I walked out of the market, a Pidgey crapped on my shoulder. I shrugged it off and wiped down at a public restroom. I then got pulled aside by a police officer asking me if I lost my parents. I flashed him my trainer ID and he sent me on my way. Like I said, while ten was the earliest you could become a trainer few ever went on their journey till age thirteen.

The cop wasn't even as old as I was before I died which just upset me more. Then the League match so even had left from wherever they had been watching the event and flooded the streets. I could barely move forward without getting shoved by the crowd. I wasn't admiring the streets now. I realized then and there that I hated cities or at least the people that lived in them. I moved as fast as could, so I could escape the concrete and be back in the dirt.

Once I got out of Viridian I let out a sigh of relief. I had never been a fan of crowds and drowning in a sea of people did wonders for my composure. I breathed deep and basked in the feeling of solitude. All I could hear was the whistling of Spearow and the wind around me.

I released both Blink and Crum who both gave a hello to me. I petted Blink and nodded to Crum. I got a slight shock of static from contact with Blink, but I was able to ignore it mostly. That would probably be a good start.

"Alright, guys. We need to talk about this morning, "I said to the two.

The looked away embarrassed as the memory of this morning came back to them. They weren't in trouble, but they just needed a reminder about a few things.

"Hey hey, it's fine. We make mistakes. We just need to learn from them. I should have thought about Blink not being used to living indoors or having to control his electricity. You will be more aware from now on won't you, Blink?"

While still a bit ashamed the Shinx looked me in the eye and nodded. I gave him a smile to show all was forgiven. I then turned to Crum and spoke to him.

"Now with you, Crum, you need to also control yourself better along with trusting the team more. I know you were being protective, and I truly appreciate that, but you need to realize that Blink hadn't shown any anger towards us. We will grow as a team in the future and we might get partners who are against getting captured. We will be wary of them but until they prove otherwise they will be treated with the proper respect. You understand me?"

Crum gave a grave nod and continued to look down. He stared back up and quirked his head at me in a question. I had a guess as to what.

"You are wondering about why I mentioned control with you?"

He responded with a rumble in his chest followed by a nod. I then lifted my jeans to show the bruises along my leg that I received from him when he had playfully hit me. The problem was that playful for a Machop was almost bone breaking for a human. He stared aghast and looked away again. He seemed genuinely upset that he had unknowingly hurt me. I placed my hand on his shoulder to show there wasn't lasting harm.

"Hey, it's ok bud. You didn't mean to cause that much damage. You just need to realize that humans aren't as tough as Pokémon. That goes for you too, Blink."

They both resolved and gave me a nod. It seemed like the lesson had got through. I'm glad they respected me enough to listen to me. I didn't feel liked deserved this though. Crum had proven himself in his battle against Blink. Blink was new, but he still fought hard against Crum. They showed their worthwhile I had only called out a few commands. Any trainer could do that. A good trainer had strategies. They had unique call signs that allowed for techniques to be called without being immediately countered. I needed to be better than all the others. If my ultimate goal was to find a Legendary to send me back home I would need the resources, skills, and most importantly, the Pokémon able to carry me through my task.

Blink and Crum stared up at me with blank looks. Dammit. I got lost in my thoughts again. It was a habit that developed after I got reborn. I theorized it was cognitive dissonance from having two conflicting realities. I shook myself and prepared to start carrying my weight.

"Alright, guys. I want to spend all day training today. I want to sharpen your skills up as well as develop a few strategies to use in battle," I declared.

They both perked up at that. I decided first to have them face each other again.

"Okay, you two. You're going to battle each other. However, I don't want you to use any moves. Crum, I want you to focus on keeping track of Blink. If you are able to hit him, I want you to use the smallest amount of strength you can. Blink, you are going to work on getting into Crum's blind spot. So, focus on speed and lateral movement. Try to avoid going in a straight line if you can."

The two quickly squared off against one another. They got ready and then they fought.

xxx

I had them fight each other off and on till about midday. I made them lunch as they got some water from a nearby stream. Crum had done very well. He constantly shifted his stance and kept his corrective movements as quick and precise as possible. Blink, on his end, also impressed. He wasn't as fast without his Charge technique, but he still was far faster than Crum. He struggled a bit to catch Crum off-guard but eventually, he started to fix his movement. The Shinx changed up his speed, pulled feints, and even took a few hits to capitalize on Crum opening his guard. As Blink started to gain the upper hand, then Crum would buckle down and take control. As one got better then the other would step up and take control of the fight. This was exactly what I was hoping for.

Both Pokémon were insanely competitive. They fed off each others energy like no other. The even better product of this was that they seemed to be friendly with each other. Many teams had power struggles within them. The strongest, starter, species that took leadership roles, as well as the trainer themselves would vie for leadership. It was almost a given within all battle teams but having this cohesiveness already within the team was a godsend. I couldn't predict who would truly lead the team when I wasn't around in the future, though I was trying to push for Crum, but having this foundation would make it far easier to deal with in the future.

Crum then walked up to me and gave me a playful bump. I smiled at him as he hadn't hurt me at all. That was something I noticed with his fight with Blink earlier. He had done well to hold back his power and had developed something I wanted to focus on later in the day.

Blink trotted up to us and fell in front of the food I had placed down for him. He ate the basic feed that most Pokémon tend to favor. He would occasionally char a pellet with electricity and chomp down in it. Both members of my team were capable of hunting so the could supplement their diet along with what I fed them. As they began to eat I started to talk to them.

"you both did great earlier. I was really impressed with what ya'll showed off."

They both exulted in the praise. I was happy to tell them this. I was incredibly lucky to have them. It was hard to find two Pokémon so dedicated and hardworking this early in one's journey. Once we got into actual battles I knew the would make me proud.

"Now after lunch, I'm going to split you up. I want someone on one with the both of you. I want to start with you Blink as I haven't got to just have the two of us alone yet."

Crum seemed a bit down at hearing this, but he quickly reassured himself I would be working with him later. Blink's eyes sparkled in anticipation at the training. He wouldn't be so excited when I had him do the exercise I was thinking about. I couldn't hide the evil smirk at that.

Crum saw this. He had seen this face before at the ranch. He also knew that what usually followed was me living out a few of my more sadistic tendencies. Crum looked to Blink and gave his approximation of a chuckle.

Blink faced Crum in confusion at this. He wouldn't be in on the joke in a bit. He just wouldn't find it funny.

"So, Crum, while I'm focused on Blink, I want you to do the exercise I had you do last time. This time though, I want you to change up the power you use and the speed. You should probably use one of the boulders scattered around here. I don't want you destroying the tree population in the area, "I told Crum.

Crum gave a grunt and finished off his protein water. He then stalked off past the tree line to what I assumed was where a rock he could hit was. Blink wasn't quite as quick an eater as Crum it seemed. That was going to come back to bite him now. I grabbed his food and he looked at me with a face that spoke surprise and annoyance.

"Follow me," I ordered. He followed behind me albeit glaring at me the whole walk. We came up to a large rock that protruded out of the ground that I had found while the team was getting a drink. I scaled it with Blink's half-eaten lunch in hand. I then sat down and faced Blink who looked up from the ground. I threw him a pellet to appease the vengeful stare he sent me.

"you did well today against Crum, but you and I both know you could be faster than what you showed."

Blink meowed back a response while looking hungrily at the food.

"The reason I didn't want you to use Charge is for two reasons. One Crum would not have benefitted from being blitzed the whole session and second, I don't want you to use it as a crutch. I want you to be as fast as possible without your techniques. That way when it really matters we can have an edge."

He nodded in understanding as he laid down in a more comfortable position.

"Today we are going to work on Charge and Spark. I saw when we first met that you were blazing fast, but you had one problem when combining the techniques. You can only go in a straight line."

Blink huffed in frustration at this. That told me that this had been a known issue. It should awareness of his limits. He probably couldn't figure out a solution because as a Pokémon he simply didn't have the mindset for it. Even the most intelligent psychic struggled with augmenting their move sets beyond their natural instincts. Despite their power, Pokémon were still animals. That's where trainers came in. Humans with their unique viewpoint gave Pokémon the perspective to adapt and improvise like the couldn't before as wild Pokémon. This was the basis of the Pokémon-Trainer relationship. One lent it's power while the other found ways to push that power beyond its limits.

"so, we are going to fix that. We aren't going to be doing anything too advanced just learning how to change direction while Charged."

Blink nodded along with this following me along. First came the stick.

"You will run at this boulder while Charged and angle at the last second to avoid smashing yourself into the rock."

Blink continued nodding before his brain caught up to what I said. He looked horrified at what I said. Now for the carrot.

"Once you succeed I will give you back your food. I will sit up here to make sure you are actually changing direction mid-Charge."

Blink glared at me but did walk back a few feet before facing the boulder. He stared up at me with determination. I grinned back at him.

"Begin when you are ready."

Blink first used Charge to build up his electricity in his body. Then he started to run at the boulder. He activated Spark mid-run and became a glowing yellow blur aimed at the rock and I. he crossed the distance almost faster than I could blink.

Next thing I heard was a yowl as the electric lion cub slammed into the rock. He sat back and rubbed his sore nose while making a whining noise. Well, I doubted he would get it in the first go.

"Do it again. Whenever you feel able."

Not one to be beaten, Blink quickly got back to his starting point and started over. A yellow blur followed by a cry of pain. I sighed. This was going to take a bit.

xxx

It had been an hour and Blink had progressed a bit. He still was hitting the boulder, but he had gone so many times I noticed he was creating a path in the dirt. That path was slowly starting to veer away from the gigantic rock I was perched on.

Blink had realized this and had started pushing himself harder. I felt like he was close to a breakthrough. He knew this too and he wasn't about to stop.

Besides that, we had gained an audience. Rattata and Nidoran lined about twenty meters among the trees enraptured by Blink. I doubt Blink had noticed. He was too focused on his training.

Crum had popped by to see what we were doing. I told him to just continue by himself except practicing with his kicks. I wanted to do some solo training but Blink was too close to abandoning right now. Crum looked to be understanding if not just a bit disappointed.

I was focused on Blink when I heard a sound behind me. I turned and saw a Ponyta had come up to the top of the rock.

"Well hello there. You interested in Blink's training too?"

All I got was a blank stare. The Ponyta was staring at me but gave no indication it heard me.

"Ooook. Blink it's fine. He doesn't seem aggressive. Just keep training. You are about to hit a breakthrough."

Blink had stopped once he saw the Ponyta beside. He wasn't aggressive which told me that the Ponyta wasn't going to cause trouble. He followed my order and began his exercise again. I was keeping an eye on Blink when I felt a sharp tug.

"Ow!" I cried out. I whirled around to face the Ponyta who had tried eating my hair.

"what the hell? Get out of here ya punk!"

The horse just blew air in my face and tried to take a bite out of my scalp again.

"stop that. Get out of here!"

I pushed the Ponyta's snout away from me. I could hear static going off behind me. I turned and saw Blink was doing a Shinx version of a snicker. When I came back around I saw the Ponyta had left. I shrugged and began to talk to Blink.

"I'm glad you think this is funny, but your food is getting stale. I might just end up giving this to that Ponyta even you're going to continue to be like that, "I teased at Blink.

The Shinx gave a whining meow when he was cut off by a flash of light. The light came from our impromptu campsite. Blink and I shared a look and sprinted over there. We couldn't see anything except for my bag had spilled over the ground. The next thing I heard was a notification sound from my Pokedex. I looked at it and was surprised by what I read.

"No way," I exclaimed not believing what I read.

 _Ponyta, the Fire Horse Pokémon. This Pokémon can clear two-story buildings in a single bound. This in addition with hooves as hard as diamond has made Ponyta very capable against opponents who attack from behind. This Ponyta knows the moves: Tackle, Ember, and Tail Whip. Its ability is Run Away which allows it to gain a boost in speed when in dangerous situations._

I looked at the bag and saw a lone Poke Ball. That Ponyta had caught itself after going through my bag. I looked down at Blink and he too was just as dumbfounded. I hadn't heard of this before. I did not have a response. I did the only thing I could think of and release the Ponyta.

She came out with a burst of energy and let out a whinny. She quickly looked around before focusing on me. She gave out a neigh upon seeing me.

"So, you caught yourself and you are also a girl?"

Her only response was another blank stare. This Ponyta didn't seem to have all its brain cells firing if you know what I mean. I had caught a dumb horse if you can't catch the obvious implication.

"Did you want to be caught?" I asked not able to get a read on the equine. I wasn't against it being on my team if it wanted but she was showing that she didn't have the ability to be a battler.

Another blank stare as the Ponyta leaned over to take a bite of the top of my head. I reeled back and glared at her.

"Stop that!"

Blink let off his laugh as the Ponyta moved away from me. She then fell to the ground and kicked up a dust cloud. I coughed as I covered my eyes. When I looked up I saw the silica in the dirt had reacted with the Ponyta's fiery mane sending of azure sparkles into the air. It would have been quite a sight if the horse hadn't started to spin around.

I think having this Pokémon on my team would be a mistake. I needed competent battlers, not this lump. I sighed as I returned the horse. I then set the Poke Ball for Release.

Releasing was when a trainer for whatever reason let a Pokémon back into the wild. There were general laws in place to keep trainer Pokémon from wiping out an area, but they didn't apply to my situation. So, I released he the Ponyta back into the wild.

"Well, there you go, girl. No harm no foul, but please stay out of my bag. Let's get back to work Blink. You are almost there."

Blink gave me a nod and headed back to his rock. He started before I could even get back on top of it. This time he did something he hadn't before. Blink legs kept going forward but he started swaying his torso before he activated Spark. When before he was a blur within the electric coating of Spark now it formed into a cone around him with him visible inside. He was just as fast as he was before but now the tunnel vision that had held him back was gone. He wobbled within the Spark but all it did was add a greater wavelength thru the electricity. He steadied and in the last moment before striking the boulder pivoted away in a streak to the right.

This all occurred within about two seconds, so it was hard to process at first. As soon as I did I was already running behind him. He looked exhausted from training all day but there was no mistaking the self-satisfied smirk on his face. I picked him and started spinning him around.

"That was amazing. Ow. I can't believe how you did that. Ow. I can't wait to battle with you. Ow ow. Okay, I need rubber gloves," I cried out as I held him out in front of me. The pain from the ambient electricity coming of Blink was well worth the joy I was feeling. Though Blink struggled a bit in my grip there was an obvious amount of happiness at the attention.

As I gazed up at my Shinx a flash went off behind. My face went blank. Blink while still held by my also looked back in disbelief. We turned to the camp. Sitting in the middle of our little area was a shaking Poke Ball. Then it clicked to show it captured a Pokémon. My Pokedex sent me an alert. It was that same Ponyta.

"No fucking way."

Blink made a noise that I'm pretty sure translated the same as what I had said. This Ponyta had caught itself, twice. I had no idea what to do.

I dragged my palm over my face in exasperation. I walked over and picked up the ball. I sighed and resigned myself to the ownership of my new teammate.

The problem was that Poke Balls could only remember the code of one Pokémon. It was a safety feature to keep their specific code from crossing into one another. So, if you released a Pokémon then that ball was only useful as storage for inanimate objects, like Potions, hence why Poke Balls were found lying around by trainers who had forgotten them. I wasn't going to waste another Poke Ball by releasing the Ponyta. Those things were expensive.

"Blink lets get your lunch. I will deal with this later," I sighed at the little lion.

I received a dumbstruck nod from him as we went to prepare his lunch. He ate quietly as I held up the ball looking at it like it was a puzzle I couldn't solve. Technically, it was.

Pokémon don't like being captured. They are animals and they desire their freedom, but they also had the instinct to grow stronger, so they partnered with humans to achieve this end. This was the contradiction of Pokémon.

This Ponyta, however, did not seem to desire either of these things. She didn't have the fire, pardon the pun, for battle, but she obviously wanted to come with me. That or she was simply that dumb. I hoped it wouldn't be the case because I did not want to deal with that.

Blink had finished his meal and looked to be quite pleased with himself. Now it was time for Crum's session.

"Blink, can you go grab Crum. I'm going to talk to our new addition. After that, you can do whatever you like. Train, hunt or even take a little cat nap." Pun intended.

He nodded and head off into to the woods to find my partner. As he did that I released the Ponyta. I was received with a joyous neigh followed by an attempt at eating my hair.

"Stop that. My hair is not food. Here have this if you are so hungry," I said as I handed out some feed for her to eat.

She munched on the food with a pleased look on her face. It was almost cute if she wasn't such a pain.

"Ok. So, you obviously want to come with me why? Food? Battle? My Hair?"

She nickered at the hair comment. I was joking with that one. I raised an eyebrow at her response.

"seriously, my hair? You joined for that?"

She seemed to swing her head in a similar manner as a no.

"So just me in general?"

She rose up with a neigh will kicking up dust. Once again, the dirt crackled in her mane with tiny blue sparks going up into the air.

"Alright, so you like me for some reason. Why?"

Her response was to roll in the dirt with feet in the air like a dog. She was going to be a treat.

"well if you are going to be a part of this team there are few rules. First, I'm the boss. Second, Crum is my deputy who answers only to me. Next, I get you like to be about fun, but this is a battle team. you will be a battling Pokémon. If you aren't okay with that I'm going to send you away. I can't waste resources on someone who doesn't contribute."

I didn't know this was a thing but the Ponyta licked me like a puppy. It was oddly pleasant like a spa but only on my cheek. I couldn't keep the small smile from my face as I petted her. She seemed to enjoy it, so I kept going.

"Now I can give you a nickname to give you your own identity. Would you like that?" I whispered to her.

She responded with a snort in my face. I wiped the spit from my face further accepting my new burden.

"Ok. How about Drooly?"

She spat a few embers at me for that. So, she wasn't dumb at least. I'm just going to say she was simple.

"Lassie?" I said figuring I could go all the ay with the dog reference.

She spun around in a circle kicking up the dust again. I focused on the shining sparks in her mane.

"How about Shimmer?"

She stopped twirling to stare at me. I think she liked that one.

"Oakey doke. Shimmer it is. We can start training tomorrow. For now, I'm going to focus on Crum when he gets back."

Right about when I said that both Blink and Crum returned. Both seemed to look at Shimmer with annoyance.

"I take it Blink has told you about our new member?"

Crum nodded as he sized up the Ponyta. Blink merely walked over to my bag to take a nap on top of it.

"Well, I guess I can introduce ya'll. This is Shimmer. She will be joining us. She knows what we are about, but I'm hoping you can help guide her."

Crum grunted but focused on me. Seems he was a little impatient.

"You ready to go? Well, let's get started."

He smiled as we walked down into a gulch a couple meters away from the boulder I had been at with Blink. Shimmer walked beside with a little canter that looked almost like a skip. It was far more dirt than grassland here, but I figured Crum would be more at home here.

"So how did your control exercises go?"

He pounded his chest in a self-assured manner. His face spoke of how happy he was with his efforts. Time to put that to the test.

"Good. I want to push that further. You're going to fight me."

He took a step back in surprise at that. He hadn't forgotten our earlier conversation.

"not a real fight Crum. You will hit me with the bare minimum of your strength. If you can't control yourself I will get hurt. You don't want that. I also don't want that. Besides if you hurt me too bad we will cut our training short. Then you will have to carry me back to town and I know how much you would love that."

He contemplated this with a frown on his face. He sure loved training but hated carrying around things that weren't weights or heavy rocks. He gave me a nod and got into a stance.

He quirked an eyebrow up as I also got in a stance. My arms were raised with my elbows tucked in with my right foot behind me. He wasn't expecting me to have decent form.

"so, the goal of this exercise is to not hurt me but also redirect me. Use your bare minimum to guide my hits in a way that either opens me up for a response or cause me to upset my balance. If you can do this in a fight you will be able to dictate battles even against stronger opponents. Use your defense as a weapon."

He nodded his head in understanding. Without warning, I launched at him. He blocked my first punch a bit hard, but he quickly corrected himself on the second. He probably could see every hit a mile away because as a human I was just so much slower. My advantage was that he had to concentrate so much on holding back that he couldn't just outspeed me.

I surprised him with a knee to the jaw, but he recovered with a wild grin on his face. I was only a decent opponent because he was so handicapped but that didn't matter. I was giving him something he had wanted for years. A fight.

My hits were like a poke to him, but every connected hit made his grin grow. He hadn't expected me to be so successful against him. Honestly, neither did I. I had no formal training. I was a street brawler as a kid the first time. As I got older I started to refine my fighting in a way where it wasn't simply throwing myself at someone. The funny thing was once I did that I stopped fighting. There was a difference between a fight and combat. We were experiencing that now.

It didn't matter who won or how hurt we got. Okay how hurt I got, but we were in it for the bonding of the experience. Crum was already starting to pull ahead after he got used to me. He kept that grin on his face. He loved this. I loved this. We were in sync. Any doubts we had on each other at the beginning of the journey vanished in those moments.

Crum could fight on almost indefinitely. I, on the other hand, had the body of a ten-year-old. So, I needed to even the playing. So, I fought dirty. I grabbed some dirt and threw it in his face. As he tried to wipe the dust from his eyes I tackled him. I quickly rolled away. If he got ahold of me I was done.

He got back up and glared at me. Fighting-types disliked anything other than fair combat. It was part of the reason why they disliked Dark-types so much. He continued to glower but nodded back at me. He understood that I was trying to give him multiple opportunities to adapt. He may not like all the things I did, but he would accept them.

xxx

We kept sparring for about thirty minutes. By then I was dead tired. Crum was getting to the point where he was making me hit myself with his redirection and I just didn't have the endurance. I was annoyed with myself. Crum deserved as much time as Blink got but my weak body couldn't keep up. Not that my old body would have in the first place.

"I'm sorry buddy. I want to give you more, but I'm beat," I said while panting.

He clasped a hand on my shoulder as he shook his head at my words. I could tell he truly appreciated what I had given him. While I noticed a few lines of disappointment across his face, he showed he understood.

I drank heavily from my canteen as I caught my breath. I might have had to take a break, but I wasn't going to stop here. That's when I heard a cackle. All of us in the gulch turned to look further down it to see a troop of Mankey coming towards us. Shimmer stiffened behind me. This told me that these weren't the trickster Mankey you occasionally saw on TV. These were territorial and aggressive Mankey that traveled their homes in search of a fight.

Out of the corner, I saw Crum smile. It looks like they had found one.

"Hey Crum, how about you fight these guys and see where you are at? Try to see how you can beat before you tire out."

He grunted at this. Obviously disgusted I would even think he would lose to a bunch of monkeys. I smiled as I patted him on the back. I got out of the gulch not wanting to get caught in the middle of this. Shimmer followed close behind me. She looked to be quite happy to avoid the troop.

As the Mankey came upon Crum they stopped. The yelled and hollered at him but he stood firm. He barked a challenge at them that silenced them.

There were about eleven in total. Then the smallest and most weak looking one stepped up to face Crum. He scoffed at this. He was insulted by the Mankey throwing their weakest at him. I agreed with him. He was more than a match for them. Except for maybe the leader. He looked to be nearing evolution and was quite a bit larger than the rest.

The smallest leaped at Crum with a rage-filled cry. Mankey are very fast but compared to a Charged Blink they were nothing. Crum just sidesteps it and sent a chop at the back of its head. It was instantly knocked out.

He smirked back at the troop as the bristled up at him. I smiled down from my perch at the top of the gulch. This was going to be a show.

xxx

it had been about an hour and a half, but Crum had gone through most of the Mankey troop. All that was left was the leader and his lieutenant who was currently fighting Crum. Crum had started to slow a bit in the last couple fights. He had stopped redirecting attacks and fallen back to his old habits of brute force. All in all, though this was a great training opportunity for him. He was obviously enjoying it and speedy fighters like Mankey really forced him to focus.

I would have been completely enraptured by his performance if Shimmer hadn't kept trying to eat my hair. I had no idea what her obsession was, but it was getting to be annoying.

"Stop that Shimmer. My hair is not grass. It's not even green," I said swatting her nose.

She snorted at this but seem to relent. As I turned around I saw Crum had finished his fight against the lieutenant. Ten out of eleven Mankey was a good feat even if he lost to the leader. I honestly believed he would lose and probably so did he. This battle wasn't about winning or losing so it hardly mattered in my eyes. He had done great today.

The leader and Crum then got ready and proceeded to fight. I could tell the leader was really close to evolving by the way it actually had a form unlike the rest of its troop. Once it became a Primeape it would probably head west up into the mountains to find better training grounds. For now, it was the big fish in a small pond and it showed. Crum was slowly getting worn down. It was a bit disappointing but the Mankey likely had experience and strength on its side.

All of sudden I felt a shake beneath me. I looked up and saw Shimmer was trying to eat my hair again, but she was slowly fading away. The ledge beneath me had given out and I slid into the gulch with a yell. I rose up out of the dirt coughing as I saw a terrible sight.

The Mankey was shaking with rage at his fight from being interrupted. Even worse he started to glow. Soon standing in front of me was an enraged Primape whose anger was directed at me.

I blanched at this. There was no way I could outrun a Primeape. He was going to pummel me to death. All my plans. My family. Gone. All because of a damn monkey.

Crum quickly got between us, but he looked to be worse for wear. Up close he looked far more tired than he had been from on the ledge. I didn't think either of us was going to make it out of this.

"Go, Crum."

He turned back shocked at my words.

"You just got free of the lab. There isn't a point in us both going out. Save yourself."

Then he did something I never expected from a Machop. He spat. At me. He looked angry and disappointed that I thought he would just leave me. I turned away from him in embarrassment. He was right. I wouldn't leave him. I was responsible for him just as he was for me. We may have only joined up together two days ago, but we were connected now. No matter the distance. No matter the obstacles. We were partners. Even if it was for only another few minutes.

I faced him again and nodded at him to show I didn't just believe in him, but in us. His lips quirked up into a smile as he faced the now charging Primeape.

If it was fast before as a Mankey, it was even faster now. Crum struggled to keep up. His reaction time was simply too slow.

"Crum! Change his flow!" I yelled.

I don't know if he heard me, but he started to change his pace. Instead of trying to go blow for blow with the Primeape he started pushing its fists away like he was directing a stream. It looked almost effortless if I didn't see the sweat pouring off him.

Then a shadow passed over us as Shimmer jumped into the Gulch. She immediately started spouting Ember at the Primeape. It seemed to irritate the ape is it changed focus to Shimmer. Ponyta were fast but they couldn't outpace a Primeape. It quickly came upon her and slammed into her side with a Karate Chop. She cried as she was slammed into the dirt.

"Shimmer!"

Once it heard my yell the Primeape remembered its original target. It charged at me with no regards to anything else. I froze. There was nowhere to go. I was dead. I was dead. I didn't want to die again.

Right as the Primeape came to me Crum slipped between us. He glowed white with the power of a Focus Energy as he hit Primeape with a Low Kick. The Primeape eyes went wide as it lost its balance. Then yelling the whole time, Crum brought down his hand in his own Karate Chop between the Primeape's eyes. The primate let out a cry as it slammed into the ground so hard it made a small impact crater.

Then the dust settled. Standing proudly above his beaten enemy was Crum. He turned back to me and gave a thumbs up. Then he collapsed.

I rushed to him and held him in my arms. He was conscious but very obviously tired.

"You saved my life, Crum. Thank you. I'm so proud."

Crum smiled up at me as he slumped in my arms finally letting the battle catch up to him. Shimmer then came over to us but not before kicking some dirt onto the unconscious Primeape.

"Shimmer are you ok? How hurt are you?" I questioned with obvious worry in my voice.

She simply neighed as she nuzzled me. It looked like this incident had only made he grow fonder of me. I can safely say the same was for me.

"Thank you, girl. Crum couldn't have managed without your distraction."

She stood up straight happy at the praise. Then barreling over the ledge above was a yellow blur. Standing in front of us was Blink, Charged and ready to fight. I love my team.

"It's ok Blink. It's over. I'm glad you came."

Blink calmed down, but he seemed a bit…sad? Not sure why but I was happy. My very new team had come together to protect me. I couldn't have been prouder. I stared down at Crum.

"Looks I'm carrying you back," I said smiling at my first and most loyal partner.


	4. Chapter 4

Viridian Forest

It was a bit of a chore to carry Crum back to our makeshift camp, but that's what I got for leaving his ball. I was just happy we made it out of that fight alive. An enraged Primeape could have been a death sentence. Shimmer seemed to have already forgotten she had been hit earlier and was bouncing around. Blink was being conspicuously wary of all surroundings like he was expecting something to attack at any moment.

"You okay there Blink," I asked. My only response was a growl like he heard a noise but couldn't be bothered to pay it any attention. I frowned at that. I didn't like where this was heading.

As we got back to the camp and I started to clean up I turned to Shimmer.

"Shimmer, is there any friends you want to say goodbye to before we leave. It might be a while before we are back in the area."

Shimmer gave a pleased snort and licked my scalp before galloping off into the trees. I wiped the horse spit from my face and stared after her. She was going to be a handful. I turned to face my current problem Pokémon whose head was on a swivel.

"Blink." The Shinx turned to me and stared up at me. His aggression seemed to vanish too. That was strange considering how he was acting earlier.

"Now I get you've been wild and free all your life, but I can't have you so openly aggressive. It will freak everyone out if you snarl at every passerby."

He mewled in out in misunderstanding. He wasn't getting what I was saying. Supposedly you develop a sixth sense as Trainer to connect on an empathetic level with your Pokémon. Every Pokémon and Trainer reached this point at different points. I was there already with Crum because we had known each other for so long. Looks like it was too much to hope I had gotten to that point with Blink in so short of a time.

"I'm going to return you for a bit bud." He meowed in disagreement at that. "It's just until we get out of Viridian. If I really need you, I will let you out." He relented at that and resigned himself to being returned to his Pokeball. I figured I just needed more time to connect with him to curb his instinctual tendencies to fight.

I sat for a few minutes alone with all my Pokémon returned waiting for Shimmer to return. I began to fiddle with my Pokedex when I felt my hair go wet.

"Blegh! Shimmer, goddamit," I yelled at the Ponyta. She neighed at me with a blissful smile. I doubted she thought she did anything wrong. I sighed as I looked past her into the tree line. A multitude of Pidgey, Rattata, and Nidorans seemed to be saying goodbye to her. I smiled at the scene. Shimmer must have been really special to the younger Pokémon of the area.

"You ready?'

Shimmer whinnied at me and we headed off to Viridian City to continue on my journey.

xxx

Viridian was a lot livelier now that the morning lull was over and everyone was going about their day. It was about 3 pm so everyone was getting ready to finish there day. Not that everyone wasn't glued to a screen watching the current League semi-final match. I didn't much focus on the fanfare on the field as the cameras panned over the Leaders Box. It was where all of Kantos leaders sat during the tournament. All either Masters or previous tournament Champions in their own right these were people who had proven their capability to not just police an areas Pokémon activity, but also dictate whether someone was skilled enough to rise the ranks of being a Trainer.

Badges were not the end all be all for life, but if someone wanted a career dealing with Pokémon it would always come back to how many Badges a person earned in a season. The Trainer season started right after the Pokémon League Tournament and ended about a month before the tournament began on the summer solstice. Now you weren't expected to attain Badges every year for your job. Say if you were a Pokémon Nurse you simply needed to have attained six Badges prior to your job. Badges had no time limit.

The camera continued to pass over the Leaders before settling on the last one on the right, Giovanni. I didn't know what was louder, the stadium or Viridian itself as they cheered for the man. Giovanni was regarded as the strongest, most charismatic, and most charitable Leader in Kanto if not the world. Prior to Lance attaining the League Champion position, Giovanni had battled the previous Champion and won. Instead of taking the title he simply became a humble Gym Leader and started several charities for the less fortunate. He was loved and admired. He was also secretly the head of Team Rocket, but only I knew that.

That was a struggle for me when I first saw how much he idolized by the region years ago. I realized that no one was going to listen to a child with no evidence saying that "Kantos Greatest Trainer" was a criminal mastermind. I just told myself that I would deal with him in time. He was beaten by a ten-year-old in the games, so now he would be beaten by one in this world too. At least the body of a ten-year-old would beat him.

"And now the moment you have all been waiting for! Ladies and gentlemen, your Indigo League finalists," yelled a voice from the screens that were scattered across the street. I gazed up to see who was battling. The thought of it being a little close to the previous fight went through my head, but I concluded that Janine and Wills's fight was simply for third place.

"On the red side, we have from Ecruteak City, the domineering Dark-type Trainer, Karen Salem." The crowds both in the stadium and city cheered. While Kanto and Johto were separate regions, the fact that they both were in the Indigo League led to a certain level of camaraderie. Kanto was still better in my opinion despite the Champion being a Johtoian.

"Then on the blue side, the Move Master of Alola, Olivio Kukui," the voice of the announcer reverberated through the stadium. The applause was not quite as loud for Kukui as Karen. Alola was no well known to have strong battlers and he was a relative unknown compared to Karen's career. His appearance in the Final was a testament to his skill though.

I continued walking to the Pokémon Center to heal my team. there were too many screens scattered around for me to miss the match so there were no worries there. By the time I entered through the sliding doors, I saw Kukui's Snorlax land a Dynamic Punch on Karen's Umbreon. Kukui had supposedly done well in his previous matches due to the rarity of Alolan Pokémon. He was also the better battler by far compared to his opponents, but everyone looks for an excuse.

"Hello, how may I help you today," questioned the Nurse behind the counter. She was looking past me to continue watching the match which amused me. I understood seeing as this was a match no one wanted to miss no matter if they were working or not.

"Yes. Could you heal my Pokémon? We had a bit of a tussle with a Primeape." She looked startled at this.

"Oh my. Do we need to call the Rangers?" Her worry was genuine in one of the jobs the Pokémon Rangers did was to keep stronger Pokémon out of areas deemed to be low-level areas. Low-level meaning severity of threat not power like in the game. That's not to say you won't see a Nidoking with a pack of Nidoran in an area declared low level. The Rangers only interfered in the habitats in an area if enough reports of aggressive Pokémon occurred.

"No, no. She had just evolved during the fight so I'm sure in a few days she will move up into the mountains."

"Oh good. I'm glad you weren't harmed by it. Primeape can be very temperamental."

"I never would have guessed," I said while smirking back at her. Not to belittle her intelligence, but I probably more knowledge on Primeape behavioral patterns than she did in Pokémon biology. No one expects the child genius.

"Ok Shimmer, I'm going to return you to your Pokeball." the surprisingly well behaved Ponyta just stared back at me blankly. She then licked my face in a very sloppy manner. "Blegh," I cried out and quickly returned her. I was not a fan of that habit.

"Well, you certainly have a loving Pokémon. She seems like a sweetie," giggled the Nurse behind her hand. A few people in the center saw the display of affection and were chuckling at me as well.

"Yeah she's a real charmer," I grumbled with a grimace on my face. I wiped the saliva from my face and hand them to the Nurse. I handed her the balls and went to sit on a couch to watch the match. I must have been more tired than I thought as I quickly passed out.

xxx

I woke up to the Nurse nudging me awake. "Young man, your Pokémon are healed. Would you like to go back to your room? I'm sure it's far more comfortable than this couch." She smiled at me in a way one does to a child they think is adorable for being just a child. I hated that look.

"Yes, and thank you," I got out groggily. I walked back with to the counter to get my team and looked outside to see it had become dark. "Who won the Finals match by the way?"

"You were asleep during it? Oh, I don't get how you could have. It truly was the best match this year. That very handsome man from Alola," she said with a sparkle in her eye. Seems like the "Abs of Alola" had acquired a new fan. I rolled my eyes as I re-clipped the balls to my magnetic belt.

I said goodnight to the Nurse when I looked at her name badge and saw her name was Joy. I sighed thinking on how as many things were different there was still plenty the same. I walked into my roomed and released my team. Crum and Blink stretched and loosened up while Shimmer started exploring the room.

I smiled at them and started to thank them for today. "Today you were great guys. You all did amazing especially you Crum. You really saved our bacon." He preened at this while for some reason Blink did some weird shuffle. "Well, tomorrow we are going to head towards Pewter City. By the time we get there, the new season will start and we will have our first chance to prove ourselves." The boys seemed to perk up at this while Shimmer just continued to snoop across the room.

I started to get ready for bed. I left to go shower and when I returned, I saw my team had gotten settled. Crum was in a cross-legged position back against the wall. His breathing pattern told me he was passed out likely still tired from his battle. Shimmer had somehow gotten into the top bunk of the bed and was snoring peacefully. I was immediately thankful that a Ponyta's mane and tail were not actually fire unless provoked.

Surprisingly, staring up at me was Blink as if he was waiting for me. I quirked an eyebrow as I crawled into bed in which he followed behind me. He quickly snuggled up beside me and was out like a light. I was a bit surprised at this. Earlier he seemed wild and reluctant to follow my commands, but now was cuddling like a housecat. I shrugged mentally as I fell asleep. Despite my nap, I was still tired. Damn child's body.

xxx

I was annoyed. No, maybe I was exasperated. Either way, this old man in front would not let me leave. The old man who thinks I don't know how to throw a Pokeball.

"I'm telling you that you only think you know how to catch a Pokémon. I was catching Pokémon before your daddy was in diapers, little lad," he lectured as he leaned heavily into his cane. I just stared severely back at him. When my daddy was in diapers, he wasn't even a single line of code. Not that he would understand that.

"Please Grandad. You can't simply lecture every young trainer that comes through," spoke his granddaughter. She looked to be in her early twenties and was somehow very familiar. Something about her hair color and oversized glasses reminded me of someone. I couldn't tell the color of her hair as of course the only thing my adult body and child's body share was the fact I was colorblind.

"Now Lara it is my duty to guide and protect all those who come through Viridian. Especially when that upstart Giovanni isn't here to do his job."

"Grandad, you haven't been the Gym Leader in eleven years and you know Giovanni is at Indigo Plateau for the tournament," sighed the woman I now knew was named Lara.

"Pshaw. So, he has an excuse this time. I swear he is never in that Gym. I don't care if he beat me. He is still too brutal and uncommitted to be a Gym Leader. No matter what the League says."

"Excuse me, did she say you were the Gym Leader before Giovanni?" I asked genuinely surprised. There was plenty I didn't know of the Pokémon world but it rarely came up anymore after living here so long.

"Why yes, I was. Basilio Lilvana. First Gym Leader of Viridian City. Normal-type Master. At your service, little lad."

No, I was even more surprised. Masters were rare and to have one right in front was flooring. Despite the stigma against the effectiveness of Normal-types, to become a Master of any type spoke of a prowess far beyond that of 99% of the population. Rarely was a Master a Gym Leader. They usually became an Elite or Champion.

"Grandad, please you're retired remember. Raticate doesn't even leave the house anymore he is so lazy."

"Well age has caught up to him, but I'm still as spry as the day I started on my journey. The world was very different then. There weren't all the corporations and breeding programs making the job of a Trainer so easy," ranted Basilio. Lara had started escorting him back inside as he kept going on about the good old days and how easy the younger generations have it. I smiled at his little speech. Like always the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Lara came walking back after she returned him to his house. "I'm sorry about that. He means well, its why he had his house be at this entrance. So, he could see everyone coming and going."

"It's fine. I was a bit annoyed at first, but since he's a Master he probably does know more than me," I said with a smile not believing a word I said. Sure, he's a Master but I'm a real person. I have a much greater self-awareness.

"I appreciate it. I worry about him. My parents are in the city, but he is still far enough away that if something happened…well I'm moving away so he won't have me there to keep him company." She seemed a bit distressed not that I cared. Not my problem, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask.

"Oh, are you moving far?" I asked in that way a curious child does. All cute with big hopeful eyes. Awful!

"I was just hired by the Aether Foundation to help set up there new Alola branch. Actually, I have a question for you. Are you heading to Pewter City?"

"Yes," I drawled out. That set off a flag.

"You see before I head off to Alola I'm supposed to pick up some data from the Pewter Museum. I figured since you're such a new trainer it would be good to have a more experienced trainer to guide you through the Viridian Woods."

I blinked at that. I did not need anyone's help. People were just going to get in my way. "Uh…no…I'm fine. I don't want to be a bother."

"Nonsense, Grandad might be a bit overbearing, but its like he taught me, 'It's the duty of the strong to protect the weak'."

"I'm not weak. Trust me on that." I was about to just leave when Basilio called out from his house.

"Lara, could you grab my slippers? Your mother put them in the top of the closet for some reason and I can't reach."

"Oh of course Grandad. I will do that right now." As Lara went in Basilio came back out. He shuffled over to me and stared me down.

"I heard your conversation. Now I know you don't know me little lad, but I need a favor."

I perked up at this. A favor from a Master could be very useful. This could my first step in getting home. "What do you need, sir?"

"Oh, you have manners now, huh? Smarter than you look, I guess. Now look, my granddaughter, is a sweet girl and is great with Pokémon, but she's no battler. She didn't inherit the battling spirit from me. So, I'm worried about her heading off into the woods alone, but she is a bit sensitive about it. I'd consider it a deep personal favor if you went with her."

The wheels in my head turned. I couldn't see how this could hurt me. Get Lara to Pewter and have a Master and ex-Gym Leader in my debt. This was too good to pass up.

"I would gladly go with Lara. Nothing bad will happen. I promise and I never break a promise."

"Fantastic."

Lara came outside right when we finished talking holding Basilio's slippers. Slippers that looked suspiciously like miniature Mareep. I turned to look back at Basilio and while it was hard to tell he looked to be blushing a bit.

"I have a bunion," he grumbled while looking away. I rolled my eyes. As if I cared.

"Grandad don't ask me to get you something and just leave. Are you bothering…I'm sorry I never did ask your name? That was rude of me."

"It's Al Brown."

"Well nice to meet you, Al. Now Grandad quit bothering Al. I'm sure he has somewhere else to be."

"Oh, I wasn't bothering him. Simply just commenting on how to get the right spin on a ball to confuse a Pokémon," he said while winking at me.

Catching on to his implications I started to go along with him. "Yeah, he has just been great," putting just enough inflection in my voice to convince Lara I was annoyed with Basilio. "Actually, Lara I think you're right. It's probably better to go together to Pewter especially since I'm so new and all."

Lara perked up at this. Man, people sure believe most things coming from a child's mouth if they sound innocent enough. "Oh perfect. I will grab my things. Just give me a few seconds," she scurrying back into the house slippers in hand. I turned back to smirk at Basilio.

"Not bad, little lad. You're not a bad little actor are you."

"How you do me a favor and not call me little lad," I deadpanned back to him.

He chuckled at this. "Now you don't want to waste that favor already, do you?"

I just stared back at him knowing I've been outplayed. I just sighed in defeated and waited for Lara.

xxx

Lara was nice. That kind of nice that even assholes like me can't be mean too. Just an absolute dear. But God I wish she would shut up. She had taken it upon herself to try and become my friend. I don't need friends. Then she tried to have small talk. I don't do small talk. Now she decided her role was that of teacher and was listing all the information about Viridian Forest and the species with it. She was actually very knowledgeable. There was just one problem. I knew more than her!

"That's why it is recommended for Trainers to avoid any trees that look like they have died since Kakuna are more likely to be there weighing down on the branches," she said ending her fascinating lecture on the laying habits of the Weddle line. If only I hadn't learned about it five years earlier. Small talk had now become a better alternative to this.

"So, Lara, have you always lived in Viridian, "I asked just wanting her to stop lecturing for a few seconds. We had been walking for about three hours and I was quickly getting worn out by her.

"Oh yes all my life. Well, I went on my journey when I was thirteen. I didn't really accomplish much, "she said bashfully. "Then I went to university and major in wildlife conservation. I was quite lucky to be picked up by the Aether Foundation. I'm very thankful."

I responded with a noncommittal grunt as I examined the forest canopy. The occasional Pidgey or Caterpie would peek out curious about the two humans. As long as we stayed on the League path, we would likely not encounter many Pokémon.

"How about you, Al? Where are you from?" she asked in a truly genuine manner. I internally sighed. Too nice to be mean to.

"I'm from Pallet Town. Been there all of this life," I spoke dryly. I always liked dropping these little hints. No one ever caught on though. Why would they? My situation was outlandish.

"Wow, what is it like to live so close to Professor Oak?"

"Terrible. If his assistants don't tell him to, he forgets to bath for days. He smells terrible." He wasn't really that bad, but it happened enough to be a habit. Good memories though.

"Wait you get close enough to smell him? I heard he never leaves his lab."

"I wouldn't say never, but rarely yes."

"Wait, Al…you're Albert Brown! you're the Smallest Acorn," she yelled out suddenly realizing who I was. Man did I hate that nickname. Once the media figured out a young child was working at the Oak Lab it became a field day. Thankfully Sam kept me protected from the publicity and it eventually died down. In certain circles, though I was still a subject of interest. Much to my joy and chagrin.

"Just Al is good Lara. Just Al," I sighed out. I hope she would drop this.

"Oh sorry. It's just, wow, you're a celebrity." She wasn't going to drop it.

"Barely a celebrity. I don't think I've had an article published about me in two years. Well, except for my own scholastic articles."

"Wait you're published? How do I not know about this?"

"Probably because I use a pseudonym. I publish under the name Albert Einstein." Now that was one of the funnier things I had done. Not that anyone else but me would get the joke.

"you're Einstein! People say you're the second coming of Professor Oak!"

"Oh please. I like to think he's just the first coming of me," I said with a self-satisfied smirk. Now as much as I hated being identified I did love my ego being stroked. Though technically I cheated a bit with my prior knowledge of Pokedex. I considered it a victimless crime. The forest seemed to be buzzing around us.

"Wait did you even need me to come with you," she said with realization showing on her face. Uh oh. That's not good.

"No. No. I legitimately thought it would be safer with you," I stammered out. The forest wasn't buzzing, it was humming.

Lara had stopped walking and was looking down. A look of devastation spread across her face and eyes started to water. "My Grandad asked you to come, didn't he. That's why you changed your mind. Little Lara is a waste of time, but not Master Basilio. No, he can battle. Lara is just a…" she went off as the humming became a symphony.

The symphony soon became louder and sharper. We both cried as the sound started to pierce our eardrums. I started to rack my head over what used sound-based attacks in the forest. I leaned against a tree as I tried to think, but I couldn't concentrate. Suddenly Lara was in front of me and shoved something into my ears. The sound was still hurting, but I could at least think.

Lara gave an ok sign with her hands to which I nodded back to. I pulled out my Pokedex after I figured out what was attacking us. I flipped the screen to her to show we were being attacked by Kricketot. She nodded in understanding and followed me into the brush. Not even five feet from the main road we found them. A whole swarm.

Damn, it must have been there mating season. These Kricketot were simply just calling out for each other. We just had the bad luck of getting to close to the ritual. Alone a Kricketot can annoy a person, but a mating swarm can hit notes that pierce blood vessels. We need to stop them fast.

However, as we got closer the sound got louder and sharper to the point that even whatever Lara shoved into my ears was losing its effectiveness. Soon I was on my knees unable to do anything while Lara was still standing. Later I would realize because I was younger, I was picking up the higher tones from the chorus better than Lara. So why I was incapacitated Lara sent out her Pokémon.

I couldn't hear anything but the Kricketot so I had no idea what she had till she sent it out. The light of release revealed a Ditto. Lara quickly had its transform. She didn't realize the weakness of the Ditto species. While versatile and capable of copying any species, they had one issue. Ditto could only copy one set of DNA at one moment. Two different species would not confuse the Ditto, but as soon it encountered several of a species, its limited brain function would not know whether to latch on to which individual. Sadly, for Lara's Ditto, there was at least twenty Kricketot.

As soon as the Ditto transformed it went into stasis as it shifted from individual Kricketot to the next. Soon another Kricketot had joined the swarm, but thankfully it simple fell over in a state of mental limbo. Lara looked distraught and lost. She crumpled in a way that I couldn't tell whether it was from defeat or pain. I felt blood coming out of my ears. I tried reaching for my belt to release Shimmer, but I was starting to pass out. Just before I slip, I pressed a button on of the balls.

I went into state unconscious awareness. Unable to move, but able to see somehow. Instead of fire though I felt static. As the ozone started to become charged, I lurched up to I had summoned Blink. He was jumping back and forth among the swarm biting and slashing all the while having his Charge coat active.

A lesson on soundwaves came back to me as I watched my Shinx massacre the swarm. Sound needed a medium. Be it air, water, or metal. However, heat, cold, or even electricity could change the frequency or outright disrupt it. Soon I had gained my bearings and saw Blink in front of me.

He stood between me and everything sparking wildly, snarling at the Kricketot fleeing and even Lara who had returned her Ditto. I stared at the back of his head as sighed in relief grabbing his attention. He turned back to me and I smiled back at him.

"Blink when we get Pewter, you're getting a big steak," I said wearily. He didn't know what steak was, but judging by how he beamed he knew it was good.

xxx

Lara and I set up camp after we recovered from our encounter. I set up the fire while Lara readied our sleeping bags. Blink was patrolling our camp keeping out all intruders. Soon we sat by the fire and decompressed from the day.

"I'm sorry, "croaked out Lara.

"Don't be. I promised your Grandad nothing bad would happen and I broke."

"No there was nothing you could have done, it was bad luck. Besides, I'm older and more experienced I should have been the one stop the Kricketot, not you."

"Remember I'm a prodigy. It should have been up to me to be more aware," I reasoned with her. That wasn't the real reason why I should have been more alert, but she didn't need to know that. I genuinely felt bad for failing her and my promise. I hated seeing her look so down on herself. She shouldn't have that look on her face.

"I'm just a failure. I couldn't be a great battler like my Grandad and I couldn't be a good enough researcher to catch what was happening, "she sobbed out. She wasn't crying, but she was close to it.

"Hey by that same token I'm just as guilty. I barely got Blink out and even then, I meant to summon my Ponyta, though I'm glad I called him out instead," I smiled as I stroked behind Blink's ears giving a purr that sounds like a mix of a house cat and a small motor. He leaned into my touch relishing the contact.

"I'm glad you did too. At least one of us did something. I just stood there and got my poor little Ditto hurt."

"Hey, I wouldn't have been able to do anything if you hadn't shoved that whatever into my ears."

"It was cotton balls. They were part of my medical supplies. I like to heal any Pokémon that I find in the wild."

"See there you go. I couldn't have done anything without you and why would you need to be a battler? you're too nice to do it."

"you know its not the most helpful thing to have a child try to cheer you up," she smiled at me while tearing up.

"Well, now you know how I felt when I had Professor Lara lecturing the whole trip." She giggled at that. She seemed to brighten a bit at me mocking her. "I'm sorry if I'm not a great conversationalist by the way. Being who I am and what I am I didn't have many friends my age. I mostly talk to adults. Half either talk down to me and the other half get jealous. It doesn't make for good social learning." While my situation was total of my own make unlike most children, it was ironic how much childhood in my second life reflected my first. Alone. Ostracized. It hurt so much. Then I finally learned how to be with people. I got friends and family whom I loved and I would do anything to get them back.

"I guess the grass isn't always greener. Huh?" mused Lara.

"I'm actually kind of jealous of you," I told her. She looked surprised at that. "You seem so easy to talk to. So friendly. So, kind. Sometimes I wish I wasn't so jaded so I could be someone like you," looking back at her.

"You know you can change yourself?" she said with such concern that it made my tiny little heart break. "you're still young." Ha. Not as young as she thought. I still had her beat by almost a decade.

"Sad part of it is part of me doesn't want to. I like being an ass sometimes. Being a sarcastic cuss. It's a part of me now. I just try to be better knowing I never will." Lara's face scrunched up at my cussing but let it pass probably because the day we had.

"Not a very healthy way to live."

"Look who's talking." She seemed to stop at that. She leaned back and looked to be gathering herself.

"I didn't start my journey until I was thirteen. I wasn't a late bloomer Trainer but I really struggled to get my license. My parents said I didn't have to but I really wanted to make my family proud. The day I got my license was the happiest day of my life." She seemed like she was going to keep going. I kept quiet not wanting to interrupt.

"My best friend Claire got it at the same time. We had been friends since kindergarten. We got our starters together. I had my little Teddiursa and she had her Poliwag. We traveled for a year. We battled in the Gym circuit, but we could never win. For once I didn't care if lost. We were having fun. Then we got trapped in a storm. We found a cave to hide out in." Here was the turn I was expecting. Seeing how Lara looked I had a terrible feeling there wasn't a happy ending.

"We set up camp and laughed at how wet we were. Teddiursa went off exploring while Claire and I talked. I can't remember what we were talking about. I wish I could remember what we were talking about. I hope it was important." Lara said through tears that openly went down her face. I frowned in sadness knowing something was coming, just not what.

"Then I heard Teddiursa cry out and we ran deeper to find her. We never did. I'm glad we never did. before we could a Kangaskhan came running at use. I think it thought we were a threat. I don't know. Everything became a blur. I remember it grabbed Claire and threw her into the wall. She didn't get up. I somehow returned her Poliwag and ran out of there. I just kept running until I got to town. Then I got sent to a hospital. The next the Rangers found our cave. The found Claire's body but not Teddiursa. The next week I returned to Viridian with the only thing to give my best friends family being a scared Poliwag. They weren't even angry or called me a coward. They just hugged me. They hugged me while I cried."

By this point, Lara was a mess. She was shaking and her entire front was marked with tears. I may have not wanted or needed a friend in this world, but Lara did. so, I did the only thing I thought I could. I hugged her. No words. She had heard enough in her life. Too many 'Not your faults' and 'There was nothing you could have done'. It didn't matter if they were true, Lara didn't want to hear it. She would never get over it. She shouldn't have to. Her Pokémon and friend's death were a part of her now. The only thing I could do was be there.

xxx

I woke up that morning to Lara making breakfast. Looked like freeze-dried bacon. Gourmet living today it seemed.

"Morning. Did you sleep well?" she asked.

I stretched out as I answered her "Well enough. You?"

"Strangely, yes I did. I'm sorry for getting so emotional with you last night and dropping all of that on you," she said a bit embarrassed.

"Don't worry about. I did it first. How are you feeling now?"

"It might seem weird, but better than I have in a long time. I had never told anyone about Claire. To those that cared they simply knew from the reports. They always asked how I felt, but never what actually happened. You never did that, thank you."

"Sometimes you just need to tell a stranger."

"I tried therapist but they never worked. Maybe I just needed a friend," she said with a smile. I looked at here in concentration. Any friends I made in this world were going to simply be hurt when I left. I was setting her up for more pain. But despite her smile, I could still see the hurt in her eyes. A hurt I could never fix, but maybe I could ease it.

"Yeah I guess so," I said around my bacon. Lara just smiled back at me and somehow a weight looked to have been lifted off her.

"Finish your breakfast Little Grump. I want to get to Pewter by lunch." Just like that, it was if our earlier conversations had never happened, but they did. only for us though. Just like everyone to ever live we had problems. We just lived through them not around with a little help from a friend.


	5. Chapter 5

Pewter City

You ever do something you immediately regret? I did when I got emotional with Lara. Sure, it was good I got some stuff off my chest. I had been holding it in for over a decade, but now she had started acting…

"You make such a cute face when you're trying to be grumpy," cooed Lara. She had been acting like this since we woke up. One big heart to heart and suddenly we're best friends. She acts like she is my big sister somehow. I'm older than her dammit! I never even had an older sister, so I had no idea how to act other than how I always did to get people off my back. Be an ass. Sadly, she saw through my so-called act and had turned my general unlikability into something cute.

"Lara, I am not cute. I will make Blink shock you," I grumbled out looking at Lara carrying my Shinx. Somehow Lara had made the little lion fall in love with her despite him being even more anti-social than me. Filthy traitor.

"Oh, he won't do that. Besides you're right you're not cute." I smirked in victory. Score another for an off-putting demeanor. "You're adorable," she cried out pinching my cheeks. I tried swatting her away, but a child body is beaten by a grown adult. I wasn't for sure if Pokémon could snicker, but it seemed like Blink was doing something similar.

I just took the attention. I just reasoned that Lara was the kind of woman that loved cute things. While would have preferred ruggedly handsome or drop dead sexy this body had still not hit puberty. I just had to keep telling myself that Lara seemed happier now than the rest of the trip. My one good deed for this lifetime then back to looking out for number one.

"How far are we from Pewter," I grumbled out after finally getting Lara off me.

"Oh, not too far. Probably another thirty minutes. We might even see it over this next hill." And sure, enough there it was in all its grandeur. Another tree. I frowned up at Lara. She impishly smiled back at me, "Maybe it's the next hill?" I rolled my eyes and just hoped for a few moments of silence till Pewter.

I actually had enjoyed my time with Lara. After our big talk at the campfire, she seemed to respect me a lot more. There was still a hint of that "I'm an adult" mentality in the way she talked, but I could tell she had come around to my not being a normal kid. She just didn't know how abnormal I truly was.

"There it is, Pewter City." I looked up as Lara disturbed my train of thought. I can safely say I was unimpressed. It wasn't a bad city, just your typical city. Roads, cars, tall buildings. The whole sh-bang. You've seen one city, you've seen em all.

"Not too impressed?" Lara said as she looked at my characteristically blank face. Was I that easy to read? "I guess I forget you are a country boy."

"Oh yes give Tauros shit any day over city life," I spoke in my ironically original accent. She slapped across the head.

"Language. Boys your age shouldn't say such things," she rebuked at me with a disapproving frown. Big sis Lara strikes again.

"I worked in a lab for about five years with fully grown adults and grad students. I'm pretty sure I'm ruined already."

"Well, it's still unseemly."

"I only curse when I know I'm in a familiar environment," I said with a dismissive wave of my hand.

"So that means you think I'm familiar environment?"

I froze at that. I didn't need to turn around to see the big grin on Lara's face. So instead of admitting defeat I just continued walking to the Pokémon Center hoping she would drop it. She did not.

xxx

Turns out we had gotten to Pewter a week early for the beginning of the season. In that time Lara had gotten the data she needed from the Pewter Museum. Of course, I got dragged along. Not that I would admit it to her, but it was very enjoyable. It was fascinating seeing the museum culture of the Pokémon world along with the exhibits.

I also called Caroline and Sam to catch them up on my progress. Caroline was supportive as a mom is, while Sam expressed concern, I was catching too many Pokémon too quickly. Though once I explained to him that it was either keep Shimmer or go bankrupt buying Pokeballs he conceded and then laughed in my face. What a wonderful teacher.

Lara and I also called Basilio to tell him we made it. I apologized for not keeping my promise, but he just waved it off. He said "You made it there in one piece, didn't ya? That's a promise kept in my eyes, little lad." So, a favor gained from an old Master. Going to keep that for a rainy day.

Lara despite completing her job had decided to stay to support me in my upcoming battle with Brock. I said she didn't have to, but she was too stubborn. She really was a sweet girl, but damn is she bossy. I had scheduled a match for just before lunch on opening day and both Lara and I were now headed to the Gym.

"Are you nervous," inquired the ever-bubbly Lara.

"No, Lara. I'm confident in my team. we spent the past working on techniques. Besides it's the first gym it will be the easiest by far," I spoke lazily. Crum also had the type advantage, so I figured he was a good ace in the hole. While I had spent time with Blink and Shimmer, I had planned to seep this gym with Crum.

"Come on. No first Gym jitters? You can tell me. You know I had them." Lara then started to poke me in the ribs trying to tickle. I am not ticklish, she just had dainty fingers, so when she tickled me, I was only laughing at how foolish she looked. That's why I was laughing, the only reason. She, of course, kept this up until we entered the Gym.

"Welcome back, Mr. Brown. You're right on time for your match. Is this young lady your sister," questioned the receptionists we walked in the door still amid Lara trying, and totally failing, by the way, to tickle me.

Before I could correct her Lara cut me off. "Oh yes. I'm just so proud of my little Albert. He just couldn't stand to be without his big sis coming with him to his first big boy match," she cried out softly as she hugged me close. Huh, I guess puberty really hadn't set in because I only just now realized that Lara was stacked! Seriously how had I not noticed? When I was ten the first time, I would have seen those cannons. Whoa, pull it back, Al. you're a mature adult male. We don't objectify women. At least not Lara, because ew.

"No, she is not my sister. Just stranger whom won't stop bothering me," I growled out pushing Lara away.

"Well, either way, she can head to the observation stands. She can watch your first match," the receptionist smiled at our antics while gesturing to some stairs.

"First match?" I puzzled.

"Oh, yes. Its procedure to have at least one preliminary match to identify the skill level of an opponent. We, of course, heal your Pokémon between rounds."

I sighed realizing that the element of surprise had just now been lost.

xxx

Gyms were a fascinating bit of architecture. While battling had always been a thing, the league had not. The genesis of the League came with the invention of the modern Pokeball. Its creator, Professor Westwood, was not just a scientist but a philanthropist. The sudden richest man overnight, well more like over the course of a decade, used his wealth to set up the league system. With the Westwood family as financial backers to regions across the world, the Pokémon League system began.

Back to Gyms, now that trainers were focused more on showing their prowess than killing each other for the resources to be a trainer they needed a way to show their abilities. So, the newly born League set up the Gym system. The first decade of the system was a bit chaotic, but by my parent's lifetime, it was a well-oiled machine. Sam told me that his father was technically alive during the pre-League times, but by the time Oak Sr. went on his journey, the League system had been set in place.

Now that the history lesson is over. The reason Gyms are so unique was that most major cities had already reached capacity. It was why Gyms were on the outskirts of most cities. However, since a Gym Leader was a representative and protector of their city, the Leaders city would go hand over fist to finance the Gym. So, Gyms in some form represented both its Leader and City.

The outside of the Gym usually reflected the city. For example, Pewter was a dark grey with stylized sculptures of Fossil Pokémon embossed into the sides. Since Leaders change, the interior had to be changed to accommodate their individual type specialization. Most trainers that attained enough skill to be a Leader were specialized. So, it was just coincidence that Brock, a Rock elite, was Pewters leader.

That's where I stood now. Inside the training field waiting for one of the Gyms trainees to battle. Gyms also gave out starters and training to local Trainers, so this was likely a Pewter born trainer.

"Hey how it's going," called out a voice from across the stadium. Standing there was a kid about fifteen. He was dressed in a vest with the Pewter Badge emblazoned on his right chest.

"Howdy, are you my match," I responded out.

"Yea. I'm Frank. You're really eager to challenge Brock on the first day."

"What can I say? I'm just ready to blow through the League." He laughed at that. Pretty sure I heard a cheer from Lara in the stands.

"Well since this your first official League battle I will lay out the rules. It will be a one on one, no switch battle. Sounds good?"

Well, Crum wouldn't be surprising Brock, but Frank was in for one. "Well, I'm ready when you are," I answered. Without waiting Frank sent out a Bonsly. I got quite a bit of satisfaction from the frown on his face that showed as I threw out Crum.

Crum seemed to flex up a bit as he felt the overhead lights shine down on him. He turned back to me with a smile on his. Then he goes into his stance and ready for battle.

"All right we begin on my go. Ready, set, GO!"

"Crum charge in with a chop." Crum sprinted towards the Bonsly that just stared down the Machop.

Then Frank called out his first command. "Bonsly, Dance." Then just as Crum reached the Bonsly it spun out of the way in a pirouette. That was unexpected.

"Crum doesn't let up." Crum kept swinging, but he could never quite connect. I was nervous now. A Bonsly wasn't known for being a very agile species, but this one was spinning on a dime. Then I came up with a plan.

"Crum break apart the ground. Disrupt its footing," I yelled out.

Crum got my idea as he started punching and stomping the ground into large chunks. Soon the flat landscape of the field was craggy and with artificial slopes around our opponents' side of the field.

Frank had caught on to our plan, "Bonsly head to their side." Now I could spring my trap.

"Crum hit on the move. Aim for its feet." Crum jumped from a slope he made with a charged Karate Chop. He swept his hand right at Bonsly's feet. As it hung in the air Crum sent a punch straight into the startled Pokémon's face. It was sent spiraling out of bounds and was crumpled unconscious.

"The match goes to the challenger, Albert Brown. Congratulations," Frank called out as he returned his Bonsly. He seems to take the defeat well. "You're definitely capable enough to take on Brock. Interesting strategy. I've seen it before but usually from more experienced Trainers. Field manipulation is generally something only they try out. Pretty good effort there."

As I shook his hand, "I was a little surprised by such an agile Bonsly. It is an interesting specimen. How you get it to spin like that?"

He laughed at that. "She is a kid of my own Sudowoodo. She will be a starter when she is a bit older. She saw a video of ballet and she has been doing it since. Figured this would be a good start for her and you."

I nodded my head as looked to Crum. He gave me a nod to tell me he was ready for his next fight. Looks like we were both eager.

"Well is Brock ready for me?"

Frank pulled out a PokeTech and looked at a text. "Yeah, he's just finishing some paperwork. He should be down in five. Let me just get the Graveler to fix the field. If I know Brock, he will probably make it far worse."

I quickly got the picture that Frank was the Hallsey to Brocks Oak. Behind every great Trainer was a frazzled confidant. Not surprising as Brock had a reputation as a premier Breeder and while he was still perennial single, a bit of a romantic. The joke was if he wasn't at his Gym or ranch outside of Pewter, he was at some dating service or site. While it amused me that Brock in this world was so like his anime self it seemed that he wasn't as…eager as that version. Just a lovelorn fool who had a string of bad luck.

I stood off to the side with Crum, strategizing, while the Gyms Graveler landscape the field. My train of thought as felt something poke the top of mind. I looked up to see Lara smiling down at me.

"That was impressive, quick too. It's really cool to see a good battler I know for one," she said as she patted my head.

As I stepped away, I frowned up at her, "Didn't you watch your grandad?"

"No. By the time I was old enough to understand battling he was retired. I have a friend from the university whose boyfriend is supposedly really good, but I've never actually met him."

I gave a noncommittal grunt as tried to block her out. Though I had learned after a few days with Lara, there was no blocking her out.

"So, what's your plan for Brock? He won a Championship two years ago. At 18 he is one of the youngest Gym Leaders in the world."

"There is always young Gym Leaders. Erika in Celadon is only 12. Age has nothing to do with skill. All that matters to a Trainer is the Three Pillars: Training, Dedication, and Luck."

Lara rolled her eyes. "I heard Professor Oaks Trainer Tips on the radio too. Though I guess you heard em straight from the horse's mouth."

"Yeah, the days Sam went to Goldenrod were the only days I didn't get a lecture." The truth was that Sam was actually a very good speaker. He occasionally guest-lectured at Celadon University too. He told me they were packed. Sam was not a bragger, so I chose not to doubt him. Regarding his advice on women, I took with a grain of salt. 'Girls like it when you ignore them. Act like you don't care and they will flock to you' he would say.

I have a feeling it was more the fact that he was world famous than his charm that drew women to Sam. Not that I ever saw him on a date much less flirt.

Finally, Brock came down the stairs. I walked over while the cheering of Lara echoed through the Gym. I held out my hand as Brock walked past me to Lara. My mouth dropped. Did I just get ghosted? For Lara!

"Well hello, my name is Brock. How is that someone as alluring in you ended up in my Gym?" spoke Brock in an honestly suave voice. A heavily practiced voice likely. I hope he crashes and burns.

"Oh, I'm Lara. I'm here to watch my friend Al. he is for a Gym match." At this, he turned to face me. To give him credit he did wince once he realized he had outright ignored me.

"Oh, sorry about that." I just waved him off.

"It's fine. I'd rather just start the battle."

He looked back longingly to Lara who just smiled as if she had no idea what was going on. "Just show me your ID. Let's see what you got."

A trainer ID was not just for identification. Its how you registered for tournaments. Got reservations a Pokémon Centers. Any licenses such as Breeder, Researcher, or Ranger were attached to the ID. Most people had a physical card. I had a Pokedex.

Brock cocked an eyebrow at this. "A Pokedex huh? You a rich kid or know someone?" A fair question really. Pokedex while not rare were uncommon. Especially for early trainers. You either had rich parents or influential parents to get a Pokedex. While technically I had both, I earned my Dex in the eyes of Sam. My publications were proof of that.

"Yeah I know the inventor," I smirked. Brocks' eyes widened. He scrolled through my Pokedex.

"Wow, you're Albert Brown. Youngest Acorn. The whole world thought you were going to another Oak, not Giovanni."

I shrugged. I didn't want the world following my career especially considering once I gathered enough resources, I was going dark. Meddling with the fabric of reality tends to raise a few eyebrows. "Its Al and yea I prefer to go through my journey with as little paparazzi as possible."

He seemed to straighten up at this. "Well, I'm hoping an Acorn can give me a real fight. Even before the break, I haven't had a real challenge since last November." Considering the season started in September that was a long time.

"Why?" I asked genuinely curious.

"Well most people come to face me usually do so early in their season, so they don't have to fight my more powerful Pokémon. While you will get similar level Pokémon, you just might give me a fight worth remembering."

Crum grinned at this. The gauntlet had been thrown. I was more than happy to answer.

"I was hoping you could do the same."

Brock took on a predatory grin that looked a little out of place compared to the usual amicable demeanor I associate with him. You didn't get to his level without a healthy level of battle lust. In most cases it was unhealthy.

"Well then let's get started. Two versus two, okay?"

I smirked to Crum who was already walking back to his position on the field. I turned back to Brock, "I only will need one."

Brock smiled as he took a position on his end of the field. "Arrogant or self-assured? Let's find out. Go, Geodude."

Well looks like I get his game team. Time to start figuring out a plan for the Onix. The Geodude was simple.

"Crum, duke it out." Without looking back Crum got into a boxing stance I showed him a couple of days ago. I was never a trained boxer, but you pick up a few things after being in enough fights. This fight was going to be all on Crum.

Geodude were able to float due to their ability to tap into the geomagnetic field of the planet. They lost that ability to do so as they evolved. There was evidence that the Alolan forms could maintain this ability but due to their rarity, I hadn't investigated it too much.

Though I had investigated the Ultra Wormhole phenomenon. Yet it seemed it hadn't occurred in this world…yet. I kept an eye on the islands just in case. I had several contingencies to get home anyway.

"Geodude, Beedrill-Punch maneuvers," Brock ordered.

Brock got what I wanted to do and went along with it. This first fight would be a showcase of my training of Crum. You didn't technically need to win a Gym match to win a match to get a badge. While every Leader was different, they usually tried to test how skilled both the Pokémon and Trainer were on an individual level. So, having Crum fight without my own input would show how much effort I had put outside of battle with him.

Winning also didn't always give out a Badge, though rarely. You had to be abusive or utterly incompetent for that.

Crum threw an exploratory punch at the Geodude. It dodged and sent its own. Crum blocked it as he shifted to the right. Their eyes were locked as they maneuvered around each other. While Geodude had a much larger target, Crum had an innate instinct to fighting techniques. Brock wasn't wrong to follow my lead, but I had the advantage. Until he decided enough was enough.

Crum started to speed up his strikes. The Geodude bobbed and weaved refusing to be touched. Well, it bobbed in the manner a floating rock can. Hard to describe, but you get the visual.

This wasn't a war of attrition. If the Geodude was hit once, unless it was an exceptionally durable specimen, it was done. Crum was stalling it out to enjoy the fight. I had no problem with that. Let him have his fun. The question was: what was Brock doing?

He had a, pardon the pun, rock-hard expression on his face. Except for a little quirk of mouth. The barest form of a smirk. He was up to something. Now I was on alert.

Rock type user were known to change the environment with stone manipulation. Unless there were rocks buried under the field, not a far-off possibility, Brock couldn't really do anything. Then it hit me.

Geodude was a Ground-type too.

Looking at the ground below Crum I saw it crumbling like sand. "Crum, jump now!"

Crum, with no hesitation, jumped about eight feet up and away from the Sand Tomb the Geodude just used. Well, there goes just letting Crum box it out. No more messing around.

"Crum quit messing around. Take out its arms." Once Crum landed, he kicked the ground with an enhanced step. Like a rocket, he burst towards the Geodude and grabbed ahold of one of its arms. Soon he started to spin in a way that told me he was about to learn Seismic Toss.

Next thing I knew the Geodude was embedded into the wall, unconscious. Brock returned his Geodude and looked back to me.

"Good eyes. How you know I wasn't just going to go along with you?"

I smiled back while I crossed my arms to make seem like I was relaxed. My heart was running a hundred miles a minute. I felt sweat on my brow. I wasn't scared though. I was excited.

"Simple. I know you're not stupid."

"Gee, thanks. Ready for the next one?" I just nodded my head. I was trying to calm my heartbeat. I had never felt this rush.

"Ok. Go, Tina!" Then, not to my surprise, came out an Onix. It was not a fully-grown adult. It only stood at maybe ten to fourteen tall. I guessed roughly a year old as Onix attained full height at around age two. If there were enough nutrients in the soil, an Onix would continue to grow. Most trainers were not capable of handling them, so many of these behemoths were seen in the far-off wilds. Brock, however, was known to have an Onix that measured forty-eight tall.

"Isn't an Onix a little much for a first Gym battle?" I teased.

"Oh, Tina is a sweetie. Just a baby you know," chuckled out Brock as he stroked the nose of the Rock Snake Pokémon. Tina started to purr from the attention. If you've heard gravel being poured, then you've heard an Onix purr. Based on the exclamations from the stands Lara thought she was cute too.

"Crum, Focus up." I wasn't going to get caught unawares this time. Brock frowned at my bit of unsportsmanlike conduct but carried on. The next round began.

"Tina, Tackle." While usually, a Tackle was a simple attack, when it's a two-hundred-pound boulder serpent the move became a whole lot more terrifying.

"Crum, dodge. Go for its segments!" Crum jumped away, then launched a Karate Chop at an intersection of rock. Like a whip, the Onix rolled away. Its tail came flying at Crum as he was left open from his attack. There was no getting out of the way of that.

Crum went flying into the wall. We both winced upon impact. He was still conscious, but he took quite a bit of damage. I couldn't measure how much more he could take but I wasn't going to take a risk.

"Crum. Focus your legs." Accepting my command Crum started to turn all his mental faculties sending adrenaline to his lower extremities. We were going to fight speed with speed. "Crum, priority is to not get hit."

"Tina Wrap it up," yelled Brock. Crum was bouncing around the Onix. He had laid hands on it several times, but only to avoid being hit by the tail or head of his opponent. This was the common tactic of facing snake-like Pokémon, to hit them in the middle. The problem was it looked like Brock had plenty of experience in training this body type. So, time to get risky.

As Tina slammed her head towards my partner I called, "Crum go to the tail." I got a 'what the hell are you thinking' stare for that, but I just gave a nod. He at least trusted me enough to go with my plan.

Upon reaching the tail I screamed over the rumble of stone, "Jump on it."

"What?" I heard Lara called out. No one knew what I was thinking, just like always.

"Tina fling him away," cried out Brock. He had adopted a concerned look. He didn't know what I was planning. My plan was crazy, you can't predict crazy.

"Crum go with it and aim high." As the Onix started the motion to throw of Crum, he used the momentum to soar towards the ceiling. Exactly as planned. "Crum! Push off and Focus Chop!"

Somersaulting in the air Crum spun and kicked off from the ceiling. He became a gray blur as he fired towards the Onix. I covered my eyes as dust was sent flying, followed by a boom like thunder. When I turned, I saw Crum still hanging in the air with his hand striking Tina right on the flat of her head. Soon they fell together. While Crum landed on his feet, Tina collapsed.

I let out a breath I hadn't known I'd been holding. Then it hit me. I had one my first Gym battle. I had won an actual Gym Battle!

"Fuck yeah!" I cheered out with a pump of my fist.

"Albert!" shrieked Lara. I flinched at her yell. I looked back at her to see her glaring at me. I just let out a laugh and walked to Crum. If I ignored her, I was more likely to not piss my pants.

As I got to Crum, I could see how exhausted he was. Using Focus Energy so much had drained him. That didn't keep his victorious smile from off his face. He held out his fist and I responded with our now patented, Victory Bump.

"Get some rest bud. You did amazing." I said while I returned him. As I did this Brock walked up to me.

Clasping his very strong grip on my shoulder he beamed down at me. "That battle was amazing. I never thought I'd see a Machop fly, but damn Al you showed me. Did you even know that would work?"

"Nope. I took a chance and got lucky. Besides Crum had to go along with it."

"Well, you did great work. You beat me fair and square, along with showing obvious trust between you two. Here's your Badge along with the prize winnings wired to your account. You said you would give me a fight and man did you." Brock returned Tina and started to jog towards the exit while he yelled back, "I have a mare due to give birth at any moment, but you come back when you finish your circuit. I want a rematch."

I called back to him "You got it." I didn't really mean it. I doubted id see Brock again. Nice guy though.

Soon I was crushed in a hug from Lara. I struggled to breathe as she squeezed me. I think my eyes popped out of my head.

"That was amazing. I couldn't sit down at all." Then she hit me.

"Ow. What the hell?"

"You shouldn't curse like that. Especially in front of League officials," she glared at me with arms folded. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought she had practiced the Mom Glare.

"Please, he's probably heard worst. It's my mouth anyway," I spoke as I turned away to keep from seeing the Glare.

"Well, it's my ears. Besides you're ten. What would your mother say?"

I thought on that one. Both Caroline and my Mommy would probably have a similar reaction. They would both be kicking my ass. I sighed. I missed my Mom.

"Let's go eat Lara

xxx

Lara paid for a victory dinner that night. Out around us was my team and her Ditto. Both Crum and Blink were chowing down on their victory steaks in pleased silence. Shimmer and Ditto, who had transformed into a Ponyta, were frolicking around the patio we were eating at.

Lara was regaling me with tales of her time at Celadon University. Lots of adventures with her roommate, Maggie, were told to me as I just nodded silently. While college stories were interesting, they were a dime a dozen to me. Though the one in which the blew up a chemistry lab was interesting since Lara was a biologist and Maggie a physicist. She refused to tell me that much.

I was off in my own world running through my plans. I was reviewing my original plan. After my battle against Brock, I was concerned. I won but it felt more like luck than skill. It wasn't Crum's fault. On the contrary, he was spectacular. If I wanted to be Champion, I would be going against people with teams that they had been training for decades. Sure, I knew exactly how to beat the Elite Four since I knew their teams, but it might be years before even get a chance to battle them. I had waited a decade already and my patience had run out.

Plan C was risky and wild. I did not like Plan C. it was too dangerous and could hurt more than it could help. Though it was a fast-track and was very tempting. I was weighing my options. Was I getting impatient?

"Hey, are you listening?" Lara said as she poked my cheek.

I swatted her hand, "Sorry, what did you say?"

"I said I'm going to Alola tomorrow. I said I would watch your battle, but I really need to head there soon," she said with a downcast expression.

I blinked once. I felt a weird a feeling that I usually felt every day, loss. Most of the time I felt it towards the people I no longer had, but it was unexpected to feel it now. It felt…fresh. I just pushed it down. I didn't need this right now.

"Well, that's good. I wanted to be on my own. Prove myself. You are going to begin your new life in Alola. This is good"

"You know you don't have to act tough with me, right? I know better than that. You can say you're sad."

"I'm not. We have barely known each other a week. What's there to miss?" I defended.

Lara then reached out and held my hand. "I'm going to miss you. Whether or not you say it, Al, I know you will too." All she did was look at me with a sad smile. Despite my better judgment I squeezed back. She needed emotional support in her life. I didn't.

That's what I told myself.

xxx

Lara, I stood just outside the eastern border of Pewter. She had some tears in her eyes but was holding them back. I guess I had made an impression.

"You take care okay," she sniffled out.

"I promise. You try not to get to burnt under the Alolan sun and have fun making the world a better place," I smiled up at her. She very predictably grabbed me in a hug. I couldn't really move my arms to hug her back so just hung there waiting for her to let up. I think she held on for five minutes. Impressive.

Finally, she set me down and put a card in my hand. I raised an eyebrow in question towards her. "It's my business card. It has my number. Once you get a PokeTech, I know you will get one in Celadon, you call me. If you don't, I will know."

I sighed out, "Fine. I will."

"Promise me. Give me an Al promise." Crap. My misguided honor system was biting me in the ass. Usually, no one in this world would catch this, but I just had to have that damn heart to heart.

Knowing I had been beat, I accepted defeat. "Fine. I promise."

Lara brightened at that. "You're a good friend, Albert Brown, and a good person. Despite you saying otherwise." I just rolled my eyes and shouldered my backpack. Lara then grabbed her things and waved goodbye.

I frowned a bit thinking about how devastated she would be when I left this world behind. I tried my best to avoid making an impact on people, but it seemed like I couldn't avoid it this time. Then I looked at Lara's business card. I groaned out as I palmed my face. How could I miss something so obvious?

Her business card read, Lara Wicke, Assistant Branch Chief-Alolan Branch, Aether Foundation.


	6. Chapter 6

Mt. Moon

I breathed deeply as I walked on Route 3. Fresh country air always put me at ease. Now the Pokémon world had far less smog and pollution compared to the real world due to the emphasis on life with Pokémon. You still had pollution otherwise you wouldn't have Pokémon like the Grimer and Koffing lines. However, this world had mine beat on crisp air.

I had Shimmer out beside me. Well besides me in the fact she was running around and shoving her muzzle into anything she found interesting. She found most things interesting it appeared.

I wasn't bothered by her curiosity. It was amusing how she bothered other people and Pokémon. I reminded myself I needed to get a hat. Shimmer still tried to eat my hair whenever she could. She never pulled on it, so I wasn't sure what she was trying to accomplish.

Crum and Blink were in their balls to keep a little mystery on the members of my team. I had battled a few trainers on our way to Mt. Moon. They were all "unofficial" Trainers. Trainers who had Pokémon, but no certified League ID were called "unofficial". Without an ID you couldn't earn badges and Pokémon Center care was not covered, so most did not go on a journey without that qualification. It was said that for every League certified Trainer there were 3 uncertified.

Now being a Trainer was a lucrative career. You earned money for every official League win, and if you made it to the League Championship you even got paid for a loss. Most made their money off betting.

Pokémon battling was a gambling sport and man did this world love to gamble.

Currently, I was thinking about how I wanted to fill out my team. The best course would be to cover my current teams' weaknesses. Grass for Shimmer, Water for Blink, and Dark for Crum. I also had to consider the sheer power of Psychic and Dragon. Both were very powerful types, but also had a reputation of being difficult to train. I wouldn't be here long enough to train a Dragon. I also made sure to avoid Psychics. I had too many world-shattering secrets to let anyone into my mind.

Whatever I picked up would also need to be easy to train. I may have made a mistake with Blink. Sometimes he was great, but other times he was so belligerent. The only pattern I had picked up was he acted out in urban areas. I still felt like I was missing something though.

Suddenly I heard a rustling in the grass. I turned and faced the noise. Shimmer was not too far so I wasn't worried. There wasn't likely to be anything too terrifying this close to the main road. I was very wrong.

I screamed. It was a high shrill scream. Usually, I'd be embarrassed but this was a case where I didn't care. In front of me was… an Ekans.

I hate snakes. I can't even stand to look at a picture of a snake.

Hearing my scream Shimmer ran over while Crum and Blink released themselves. Shimmer looked confused. Blink looked on edge and shifted between me and the Ekans. Crum just looked at me disappointed.

Crum knew about my fear of snakes. It was a joke in the Lab that I refused to go near any snake-like Pokémon. Well, not any, but the ones that looked closet to a real snake. Milotic, fine. Seviper, burn it.

Crum just stalked forward to the Ekans that coiled in preparation from a battle. The Ekans struck out with a Bite, but Crum lazily moved to the side. Then he grabbed its tail and started to spin. Despite my fear, I was now quite happy. Crum had fully learned Seismic Toss if the ping from my Pokedex was anything to go off. Soon Crum had thrown the Ekans out of sight.

"Uh, thanks for that Crum," I stammered out. He turned and rolled his eyes at me. I just straightened myself and tried to put how I acted behind me.

"Let's just get to those caves," I sighed out.

xxx

The Lunar Range separated the eastern and western areas of Kanto. While the southern pass had been excavated to allow easier traveling, the Northern Pass under Mt. Moon was still relatively untouched. Nowadays only Trainers traveled this natural labyrinth. It was one of many areas that the League simply could not control.

This was why Ranger Station was placed outside both entrances of the mountain. To pass through you had to check in before you entered and upon exit. The problem was there were only stations at the manmade entrances. There were countless entry points into the cavern system. The League could only facilitate so much. Ultimately it was up to the Trainer to get in and out safely.

Mt. Moon claimed about ten to twenty lives a year. Compared to most wild areas this was quite a low mortality rate.

As I came upon the station, I had my team loiter about the station. They preferred them to be outside and I was glad to let them do so. Besides we were about to be stuck in the cave for at least a day.

When I walked into the station and saw a Ranger sitting at a desk with his feet up. Based on the snores I figured he was sleeping. I banged on the desk to wake him up. He fell out of his chair backward. He got back up and glared down at me

"Hello, I'm signing into to go through the Mt. Moon path." I had put on an innocent smile on my face that no one ever questioned. Babyface had some advantages.

"Aren't you a little young to be on a journey? You have any Pokémon?"

I flashed him my Pokedex with my electronic Badge pulled up. "My Pokémon are outside, and I have three."

He just sighed and pulled out a binder, "Fine. The League is not responsible for any loss of life but will hold you responsible for any massive changes to the natural environment of the area. Read the rest and sign." I wrote my name down then headed to the door.

"Hey be careful. There has been some activity deep in the caves we can't locate. Something that's disturbing the Pokémon. It's probably nothing, but we won't get any real investigators for another week"

I stopped at that. I had almost forgotten that Team Rocket was supposed to be here. The fossils were negligible to my plans, so I hadn't even thought about it. I turned around to face the ranger, "Thanks, I will be careful. Have a good day."

xxx

Well, I can safely say I was lost. The game map did not match this worlds layout at all. I expected this, but I could not imagine how twisting the cave would be. When I came in, I thought my biggest concern would be the Rockets, instead, it was my horrible sense of direction. I could never figure out my orientation in relation to the rest of the world.

If you took all the right turns in the cavern system it was said you could walk out in about 6 hours, but most got lost for a little bit and spent about a day underground. The way I was going id be here a week.

I was just glad I had Blink and Shimmer out. Shimmer lit our way and Blink shocked away the swarms of Zubat in the area. Crum was nearby likely hunting for Geodude to fight. He was smart enough to stay in earshot.

I hadn't encountered any Rockets yet. Honestly, I'd be fine with just ignoring them. I had nothing to gain from battling them. Team Rocket was a gang sure, but if I read the news right, they had been growing into a military force over the past decade. Rumors of their involvement across the world had started to spring up. Gangs like this had popped up before but Sam said that Rockets had been around since he was Trainer. Team Rocket was on the rise and the world knew it.

No one knew who the leader was or even where their main base was. It was inferred it was in Kanto since that was their place of origin. All anyone knew of Team Rocket was they were thieves, funded unethical Pokémon testing, and that they were dangerous.

The Elite Four had been scouring the region for them, but the Indigo League monitoring both the Kanto and Johto regions stretched their resources. Team Rocket was also very effective at never losing leadership. Grunts were captured, but never an executive much less Giovanni.

I'll say this about Giovanni, he knew how to avoid being caught. Any Grunt stated two things: they didn't know their boss's identity and that they believed in his vision. Upon hearing this some had wanted to call the Rockets a cult. I knew better. Giovanni was just that good. At least until he met me. Things may not have been exactly like my previous knowledge, but I still had the advantage.

Now if only I could only get out of these damn caves!

Blink hackles shot up as he started to growl. I focused ahead of me as I tried to peer into the darkness. The problem was whatever was out there could see me, but I couldn't see it.

"Excuse me, hello? Can you help me out, I seem to be lost," called out a voice.

"I'm not so sure of where I am either. I'm Al," I called back.

The owner of the voice walked into the light. He was about average height, thin body, and shallow face framed by long hair. He wore large glasses that took up most of the real estate on his face. "Uh hello, I'm Miguel. Sorry to be a bother, but are you perhaps a registered Trainer?"

The question unsettled me a little bit. Why did he want to know that? "Yes, I am," I said warily.

"Oh, thank the lord. I'm sorry. I'm a graduate student at Celadon University. I'm not exactly that capable at battling. I'd feel a lot better if I wasn't alone," he spoke with an obvious release of stress. He seemed harmless if just a little shifty.

"Um, sure, but why are you in Mt. Moon if you know you aren't a good battler?"

"Oh, I'm here on vacation. There are always rumors of Fossil in Mt. Moon. So, I came here to strike my luck at finding some. I did my dissertation on the behavioral habits of revived Pokémon with modern Pokémon. So, while I waited for approval, I decided to take a little vacation," he rambled of like a jackhammer.

I steadied myself as I absorbed what he said. I knew who Miguel was. Doubly so. He was likely the Super Nerd who had the Fossils in the games. Who he was in this world was all that he said, a grad student. Sam was part of his approval board and had left the report on his desk. It was quite good.

"Well, any luck so far" I inquired. Now he started getting shifty again. Blink hadn't calmed down yet, and I was inclined to think he might be on to something.

"Uh well actually yes. I've been here a week and thought I wouldn't find any at all. But in fact…I uh found two." My suspicions were confirmed.

"Well, congratulations. How were you lost if you been here so long?"

"Ah, it's kind of embarrassing. My Magnemite was lighting my way and it ran out of power after doing it for so long," I rolled my eyes. Pokémon that were derived from artificial products were always finicky. Magnemite lines couldn't function without absorbing electricity, Voltorbs were oversensitive to the point of explosion, and the Grimer line…while gross were fine in my opinion.

"Well, I just wanted to get through here quickly. So, I'd be glad to have you come along," Maybe I could con him out of Fossil. As thanks for helping him possibly?

"Oh, thank you. Now that I can see I should be able to use this map of the caves I have."

xxx

We walked on using Miguel's map to get around. He somehow knew exactly where he was so that helped. Blink was still stressed but he had calmed down a bit. Miguel was constantly looking down at his map and leading Shimmer. Crum had hooked back with us. Judging by the amount of dust he was covered in told me he had been successful.

"I read your dissertation by the way," I stated. Miguel stood at attention at this.

"How? I don't even know who is on my approval board."

"I know one of them. I don't know what he wrote but I found it to be very well investigated. A little longwinded in parts, but I felt you had very good findings and observations. Particularly on how Lileep formed a symbiotic relationship with the Corsola of Lilycove."

"Well thank you I truly thought they were the best example of how Ancient Pokémon can coexist with their…wait that still doesn't explain how you got a hold of my report."

Time to blow him away. "Oh, that's because Sam had it. I work for him." Let it click.

"Sam? Wait, Al? No! You're Albert Brown. You're the Youngest Acorn. The Professor Oak read my dissertation? You can't be serious," he yelled. I was about to answer when I felt a rush of wind. I dove away to see a Zubat fly past me. Then I heard laughing.

"Well well. Who let the preschool out early," laughed out a voice. Then coming into the light was a Rocket Grunt. Oh, good I thought it was something to worry about.

Miguel seems to think otherwise judging by how he cowered behind Shimmer. It didn't matter. Blink could handle this.

"Oh no. Team Rocket. What will we do?" I spoke in as dry a tone as I could put out. My sarcasm was not lost on him.

"Oh, does the little shit stain think he a big boy? Looks like your friend there knows what's up. That's why he's hiding behind his Pokémon," the Grunt sneered.

"No, she's mine," His smile dropped at that.

"Uh, the Machop?"

"Mine."

He seemed worried now. "The Shinx?"

"All mine."

The Grunt looked pale now. He figured that by myself I had more firepower than him. This would be quick.

"Blink, Spark," The tunnel flashed with light as Blink surrounded himself with electricity. Without even running forward, jumped at the Zubat and slammed it to the ground. The Grunt quickly returned his Zubat before it was mauled.

As he ran off in the darkness he called back, "You haven't seen the last of Team Rocket." Well, he wasn't that intimidating. How did he know where he was going? I faced Miguel to seem him get out from behind Shimmer.

"He is gone. You can come out," I was not impressed with Miguel. Being bad at battling was one thing. Being a coward was another.

"I'm sorry. It just once I saw his uniform, I thought we were done. I didn't think you could take on a Rocket."

"Why is that," I spoke and being a little offended by the insinuation. Crum alone was a fantastic specimen of his species.

"You're Albert Brown. The scientific community was sure you were going to be a researcher Everyone knows you're Professor Oaks protegee. It's a joke that he only talks about two things: Pokémon and you," he confessed. My eyes widened in surprise. That was news to me. I never went with Sam to any event he was invited to. I liked my privacy too much and he respected that. Besides he always told me about when he next saw me.

"Well, I'm a Trainer now. I'm aiming to be Champion."

"Oh, I guess you're literally following in his footsteps. Professor Oak was a Champion before he attained his doctorate."

"Yeah something like that," I spoke evasively. Sam was the youngest Champion ever at age nineteen. He was also the shortest tenured Champion. After attaining the title, he abdicated to the previous Champion and attended Celadon University. The world called him crazy, but then a decade later he came out with the Pokedex. Overnight he became the most famous person in the world.

"We should get out of here. If there is a Rocket operation here, then that means there are more. Members likely stronger than that last one," I audibly scoffed at that. Sure, Miguel didn't know what I knew, but he had seen how dominant I was.

I was about to call him out on that when we heard moving earth. We all focused on the sound to see a head poke out of the ground. It was a Sandshrew. I was immediately interested. Ground-type users were the absolute best at environmental manipulation. You didn't have to be the strongest or fastest if you kept your opponent off their feet.

I was about to ready a Pokeball when I heard Miguel scream. I flinched at the noise and something flew out of my peripheral. The tunnel flashed with light and where the Sandshrew was now was a Pokeball. My jaw dropped. That little shit caught my Sandshrew. My mouth open I turned to Miguel who looked just as surprised. I gestured to the ball with my arm outstretched.

"I panicked!" Miguel cried.

I just sighed. I really wanted that Sandshrew.

xxx

Miguel's new Sandshrew did not like him. I was very amused by this. As soon as Miguel let it out, it leaped at him. Thankfully, Crum was right beside him and swatted the mouse down. After that while, it still refused to listen, but Miguel stayed conspicuously close to Crum so the Sandshrew remained docile.

Shimmer had tried to be friendly but got sand sent up her nose. I felt a little bad at laughing at her. A little. Crum despite hitting it before, showed indifference to our new ally. Blink was more focused on our surroundings. As for me, I was still stewing in anger on losing out on that Sandshrew.

"Al, are you angry," Miguel whimpered out. I mentally groaned. Other than hiding away Miguel had not actually done anything wrong. Got stupid lucky to find the Fossils and a Sandshrew, but he was a decent sort.

"No, Miguel. I'm fine. Just ready to get out of these caves."

"Yea me too. If we are where I think we are, we have about another two hours of walking. If I release my Magnemite I can use it like a compass. Help give is better directions."

I glared at Miguel, "Why didn't you do that before?"

"I... I... I was so scared, I forgot," he sulked out. I let out a groan, but he released his Magnemite. Judging by the height of its screw, Miguel's Magnemite was really out of power. Thankfully its polarity was an innate sense and Miguel could just carry it.

"All right buddy. Which way is north," Miguel asked his Magnemite. The Magnemite twirled in his arms a bit before pointing to our left. This told us if we keep going straight, the rediscovered east, we would be heading in the right direction.

"Good job Miguel let's keep going. I'd like to be in Cerulean tonight," Now knowing our course was correct we walked a bit faster. Finally, we started to see light after another hour or so.

"We made it! Thank the lord," Miguel exclaimed. Time to put the squeeze on him.

"Yeah. You know this kind of guiding service you would usually have to…Gahhh!" I was about to extort Miguel for a Fossil before I got cut off from intense pain in my head. I saw Blink and Shimmer were also feeling the effects.

"Al what's wrong?" asked a terrified Miguel. Neither he nor Crum was affected by whatever this was. I focused on the Magnemite. It had an ambient electrical field even when depowered. So that field was disrupting whatever was attacking us. Then I remembered Viridian Forest. I quickly returned Shimmer while I still had the function of my body.

I choked out "Super. Sonic. Run. Now." Miguel didn't need to be told twice as he returned his Sandshrew and ran back deeper into the cave. Crum tried to stay but as soon as he got hit by the Supersonic, he retreated close to Magnemite. The last thing I saw before passing out was Crum's devasted face.

xxx

I woke up with a slap to my face. I let out a gasp of pain as I tried to come to my senses. As my vision started to come back to me, I examined the room. It was a large room fitted with lanterns into the wall. There were multiple exits and boulders scattered the room. In front of me was a serious-faced Rocket and his smirking Graveler. I struggled to find I was tied up. I was in trouble.

Then I got punched in the stomach. I wheezed out trying to breathe. I tried to catch my breath when the Rocket pulled up to his face. I heard a growl and saw Blink was hogtied on the ground a few feet away.

"Who sent you? Was it the League?" I focused on the yelling Rocket. I coughed in his face. He slammed me into the ground for that. I let a cry as I felt my back cut up with rocks.

"Answer you fucking shit. You beat one of my men and you have a Pokedex. You're League, aren't you?"

He spat a little in my face while he yelled. I figured in for a penny in for a pound.

"I'm not League. Maybe your guys are just crap," I wheezed out with a laugh. I got a punch for that.

"He warned me about you and your little friend who found our Fossils. Where is he," he screamed into my face. Crap they knew about the fossils. The previous Grunt must have heard Miguel bragging. That's why he attacked.

"I don't know," He stomped my foot as I yelled. He pulled me back up.

"No way you aren't League I heard you order him. The League using child soldiers now, huh? Those Fossils are Team Rockets property. Only we know what their best use is." I need more information. Time to turn his interrogation around. "My friend found them fair. You just were too dumb to find them."

He didn't like my answer based on the fact he punched me again. I felt blood pool in my mouth. I spat it out and glared back at the Grunt Leader. I shifted my wrists to see if I could get loose, but the bindings were too tight.

"Come on kid. Tell me what I want, and I'll even let you go. I'm going to keep your Pokémon, but you get to live," he oozed a little too sweetly. Good cop, beating cop doesn't work when there is only one of you.

"You and your friend like beating up kids? Does it really take two adults to beat me up," I taunted? Luckily, he didn't hit me this time. That was good since I felt my body throb from pain. Now he started to circle in some attempt to intimidate me.

The Rocket snorted, "Pfft. You'd think Team Rocket would send two people for such an important mission? I was trusted with a full squad and I will not fail our Leader." 'All right Al block out the pain. Focus.' This guy wasn't smart enough to know he was being tricked. He was proud and was a stooge of Giovanni.

"A squad? How much is that? Why would so many people be trusted to a screwup like you?" I felt him strike the back of my head. I fell forward landing on the stone floor. I breathed out heavy as I tried to roll away. Suddenly I was in the air and thrown into a boulder rising out of the ground. It only clipped my side, but I felt blood trickling down my arm. I must have got cut.

"I ask the questions! Where are the Fossils?" I leaned with my back against the protruding rock to face him. Right behind I saw behind another boulder was Crum. He looked furious, but he wasn't charging in. he had a plan. Time to be a distraction.

I looked around and noticed there were crates scattered around. I could work with that.

"You leaving or something? You looked packed." He bristled a bit and sneered at me.

"We were about to when one of my men found you and your friend. A month of failure ended by us finding you. Now I'm so close. You aren't going to stop me, kid. Now, tell me where the damn Fossils are?" Let's lay it on a bit heavier.

"Man, you're a little bitch, aren't you? You keep beating on me for nothing. You're really crap at your job," I mocked. His attention was focused on me. Crum was circling the room. I got up and started to mirror him.

"You're a tough kid." Then the Rocket snapped his fingers. The Graveler began to lumber over to me. "Lets so how mouthy you are after dealing with Graveler." This wasn't good. The Graveler's larger, top arms lifted me in the air. Both the Rock-type and the Grunt had a malicious smile pasted to their face. I struggled in the Pokémon's grip. I tried kicking it in the face, but all I got was a rocky smirk. Then I saw its smaller forearms grip my hands.

I screamed as loud as I could as the Graveler slowly squeezed my hands. I felt my carpal bones starting to crack. When I was dropped. As the pain started to fade, I saw what had happened.

Crum had tackled the Graveler and was currently getting punching wildly. I heard screaming and saw the Grunt being attacked by Blink and Miguel's Sandshrew. Then I felt the rope tied around me fall away.

"Oh god, Al. Are you ok?" I turned and saw the worried face of Miguel.

"Peachy," I spat out with a little blood. Miguel quickly picked me up in a princess carry. This was demeaning. We needed to get out of here.

"Crum, Seismic Toss! Blink, Spark!" I yelled out as loud as my likely bruised ribs would let me. They both heard me as I saw the Graveler go flying and the Grunt crumple to the ground with a seizure of his muscles.

"Let's get out of here!" screamed Miguel. Miguel started to run for the exit with our Pokémon following behind us. Based off the yelling behind us, the rest of the Rockets had heard us.

I rasped out a question to Miguel, "How long was I out?"

"They attacked us about three hours ago. So, I guess that long. You look terrible. How could they do this to a child?"

I let out a struggled chuckle, "Maybe they just don't like kids? Definitely can't say they're the caring type."

"Stop talking. Oh lord, you're bleeding everywhere. I should never have left," he whined. I felt water hit my chest. I looked up to see tears falling from his eyes. He was really upset.

"Hey, you had to. If you hadn't, we both would have been captured," I consoled him. Why the mauled child was trying to make the adult feel better was beyond me. "Just get us out of here."

xxx

After running away for a bit, I had Miguel put me down. My legs hadn't been to hurt even if I was breathing heavy. I refused to be carried anymore. I still had to lean into Crum, however.

Miguel explained to me what happened while I was out. He and the Pokémon hid down a tunnel while they watched the squad of Rockets, about five it seemed. They grabbed Blink and I then went down a tunnel deeper into the cave system.

Crum rushed ahead, but Miguel pulled him back. He said they couldn't take them all on. They followed them to their main camp. Once they saw I was bound they waited for the Rockets to thin out. They eventually did, but then the Grunt Leader came in and began the interrogation. After that, they executed the plan and here, we were.

Miguel had remembered the route back to the exit thankfully. I was slowing us down, but hopefully, the Rockets would be too confused by the chaos to chase us.

Miguel was freaking out, but I had found that he was always had some level of anxiety. Though in this case, it was well warranted. Crum was trying to ease me along and Blink held the rear. The Sandshrew was following Crum's directions to lead the way more so than listening to Miguel, but that wasn't surprising.

The air quality started to change. I felt Crum speed up. We were close to the exit again. Everyone started to outright run.

Then the roof collapsed.

The laughter behind us told me we had been caught. With no way out. No way out for them.

I turned to see the manic grin of the Rocket Leader staring us down. He was flanked by his Graveler and a Golbat.

"Thought you were smart getting away like that. Now no more Mr. Nice Guy. All of you are dead," he cackled out.

Miguel had clammed up and frantically looking for an escape. Looks like I had to take control, again.

"Where are your friends at? They realize how useless you are?" I said trying to get a rise out of him.

He let out a deranged laugh. "I had them stay back to clean up. Besides this is personal now. I'm going enjoying grinding you all into a paste."

"Yea because that worked out so well last time," I spat out. I took stock of our fighting power. Crum could take the Graveler, Blink the Golbat. That left the Sandshrew. Then like being struck by lightning, I had a plan.

"Miguel, send your Sandshrew to clear out that rubble. We will hold him off." At that, my Pokémon readied for a fight.

"Wait for what? No, you're injured!" Miguel argued. Thankfully his Sandshrew decided it was better to listen to me and started digging out the collapse.

"Does the little baby think he can take me?" the Rocket jeered at me baring his teeth.

I smirked back, "I don't know? Do you?" His face pulled back into a grimace. With no sound, our Pokémon clashed.

Crum immediately locked arms with the Graveler. The struggled for dominance as the Graveler tried to throw shots at Crum's gut with its second set of arms. Crum was taking them solidly, but he wasn't going to hold on much longer. "Crum, Focus Energy into Seismic Toss."

Crum's muscle became empowered as he began to spin the Graveler. I looked back at Blink and saw he was getting sliced by Air Cutters from the Golbat. Blink didn't have any range attacks and was suffering for it. I needed to provide him some support.

"Crum aim for the Golbat," I ordered. Next thing there was a sentient boulder flying at a bat a foot taller than me. A sentence I never thought I would say or experience.

"Golbat dodge and send an Air Cutter at the kid," roared the Rocket. Oh, that dick. The bastard really was trying to kill me. I rolled out of the way to see Crum had grabbed the dazed Graveler and was throwing it at the Golbat again. Not exactly the way I thought Rock Throw was learned, but I wasn't going to be picky.

"Blink shock that sonuvabitch to high hell," I called to my Shinx. I wasn't going to be the only one dodging attacks. The Rocket bounded away as Blink tried to hit him with a Spark attack. "Blink, Charge mode!" Now he began to generate a larger current through his body. Now he was twice as fast. He still had tunnel vision despite our training, but he had enough room to run in here.

Blink ran at the Rocket again but was sent away by a wave of earth made by the Graveler who had moved to back up its Trainer. Blinks electricity flickered after being slammed, but it held as he rolled to his feet.

Suddenly I crashed into the ground as Crum tackled me. I looked up to see the Golbat had tried to use a Wing Attack on me. Crum helped me to my feet, but he wasn't leaving my side. We couldn't hit the Golbat while it was in the air. The Graveler was on its last leg, but Blink had no chance against it. Crum needed to protect me from the Golbat that was now hovering in front of us looking for an opening.

The purple bat started sending Air Cutters that Crum and I both had to avoid. Every bit of movement just made me hurt worse. I needed to get rid of that bat.

"Good, Golbat. Slice em up," cheered the Rocket who seemed to become even more unhinged. He was literally salivating at the mouth. Blink had regained his Charge and was pacing in front of the Graveler.

"Blink pick up speed along the walls!" thankfully Blink decided to be obedient today and ran along our right wall. As he got faster, he started to move up the wall as momentum carried him higher. He kept running until he was past the Rocket and his Graveler. Okay, I had a proof of concept, time to put it to use.

"Blink!" The abrupt call of his name caused him to screech to a halt. He skidded almost out sight, but he stopped to face us. He wore a determined and aggressive snarl on his face. Let's hope he catches on. "Blink, Charge back to me."

The little cat let out a roar. Not intimidating but it seemed to empower him. He became yellow streak that shot at the Rocket Duo. The Graveler shored up its defense with a Harden, but they weren't the target.

Blink had connected the dots and began to run on our left wall back to us. More specifically into the Golbats back. With a crack and shriek Blink collided with the Golbat as it fell. I stumbled to catch my Pokémon in my arms.

I landed under with a wheeze when he collided with my chest. He was breathing just as hard. When I looked closer at him, I noticed he taken a lot more damage than I thought. He was done.

Then I felt a rumble as the Graveler used Rollout aimed at us. Crum appeared between us and struggled against the spinning rock. Hot breath hit the back of my neck. I flipped over to see the heavily damaged Golbat standing over me. With a cry, it leaped at me with a Bite. I closed my eyes in preparation for my end.

"Magnemite, Thundershock!" wailed Miguel. An admittedly weak bolt of electricity arced at the Golbat, but that was all it needed before it fainted before us. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Crum get rid of em," I coughed over my shoulder. Crum shifted lower on the still spinning Graveler and chunked it at the Rocket. Sadly, he dived out of the way.

"Al! Come on, the way is free!" I heard Miguel screech behind me. As I turned around, I saw his feet enter a small tunnel. The bastard saved me just to leave me! Then a thunderous yell echoed through the cave.

"Dammit! You stupid fucking kid! I may have lost those Fossils but I'm ending you. Graveler, Explosion!" My eyes widened. Was this guy insane? We were all going to be crushed him included!

I didn't even have a second before I saw the ceiling come crashing down around us. I folded myself over Blink to protect him as I felt the firm musculature of Crum drape over me to do the same. Then there was black.

xxx

I let a cough as I tried to hack all the dust in my lungs out. I felt movement on top of me. "Crum, are you hurt?" I cried out in concern.

He gave me a grunt. I couldn't see him, but he didn't sound to injured. "Blink, how about you?" He responded with a lick of my hand. I fumbled for a flashlight in my backpack. As I shined around me, I saw what had occurred of our surroundings.

The entire ceiling hadn't collapsed, but large chunks had fallen. I saw Crum shift a decent sized slab of stone off his back. I called him over to examine him. It didn't look too bad. A day of rest and natural healing would take care of it, but he wasn't fighting anymore.

I looked in my arms to see Blink with half-lidded eyes. I felt his heartbeat. He seemed to just be out of gas. He would probably take longer to heal. Only a few days more than Crum at least.

Next, I examined my surroundings. It was a good thing I hadn't released Shimmer earlier to help. She would have been pummeled by that Graveler much less its volatile Explosion. Then I caught up with my own thoughts. Where were the Rocket and his Pokémon?

I stood up and returned Blink. I kept Crum out. Even though he was hurt, I still might need him. I had him start to move debris away from where Miguel had built his tunnel. Just as he started, we heard the shifting of stone. Rising from the largest pile of rock was the Graveler.

However, it didn't attack. It had lost much of its rocky shell and much of its organic stone interior was visible. No longer did it have the evil smile it had carried throughout our fight. Now it looked, sad?

I shined the light at its feet to see the Rocket leader. Crushed underneath all the stone.

He let out a bloody cough. I was surprised he was still alive. I tensed up ready for his last desperate attempt to end my life.

"You fucking shit. You beat me. Well more like beat me," he gargled out from the blood that seemed to pour out of his mouth. "You League bastards are all the same. If someone doesn't fit your perfect picture of a Trainer you wipe em away like dirt." He began to have a fit of wheezing and his Graveler tried to hold his head up. Tears freely flowed from its eyes.

"My buddy and I tried to play by their rules, but we only ended up ridiculed and abandoned by a system that didn't care about us. Then Team Rocket found us. The Boss made us better. Believed in us. He promised that we would all make the League better. No more castaways. No more rejects. All equal."

He coughed up more blood as he stared back at me. "So, fuck you and fuck the League!" he yelled out with his final breath. He collapsed with a wild look and anger in his heart.

The Graveler stroked his cheek and shut his eyes. It then let out a long wail over its lost trainer. Then it turned to face us. Hate filed its eyes. I felt Crum ready beside me. Then the unthinkable happened.

The Graveler used its smaller arms rip open it's own chest and had the larger arms tear out its own heart. It dropped it at feet as it fell beside its trainer with the light finally leaving its eyes.

I don't know how long Crum and I stood there staring at the two corpses. So many things ran through my head. Was I responsible for their deaths? Did a Rocket really have a Pokémon rather commit suicide than live without it? Would my Pokémon feel the same way? Before I fell deeper into this thinking, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to face Crum.

In his eyes, I saw surprise, horror, but most of all determination. The determination to move on. To get out of this cave. Together. I let out a breath and began digging. Crum joined me, and we dug for a few minutes.

Then under my hands, I felt a shift. I pulled back to see Sandshrew. It gave out a happy chirp as it cleared out the tunnel. It went back in and we followed.

We crawled for a few minutes as the air began to become fresher and fresher. Then I burst out into the world and was dragged to my feet.

"Al, you're alive! Thank god! I'm so sorry! I thought you were behind me! Then I felt that explosion and I thought you had died! I'm so sorry!" sobbed Miguel while pulling me in for a hug. He looked an absolute wreck. Emotionally anyway. I was the one who had been beaten up.

"Miguel I'm alive, but I won't be if you don't let go," I squeaked out feeling him crush my ribs. He let me go as he apologized even more profusely. I looked around and saw it was night time. "What time is it?"

"It's about 11 o'clock," he answered. Exhaustion hit me as I realized I had been in the caves for ten straight hours with no rest. Unless you counted when I got knocked unconscious. "What happened to the Rocket and his Pokémon?"

I stiffened. "He died. His Graveler used Explosion and they were crushed under the rocks. We were lucky."

"Oh. Sorry," Miguel apologized again. I was starting to get tired of him doing that.

"Ugh. Let's get to the Ranger Station. They should at least be able to fix me up." Then Miguel seemed to get shifty again. I wasn't going to even fake like I didn't notice. "What now?"

"Well, you see I never really signed into a station. In fact, grabbing these Fossils without the proper permits is a bit…illegal. So, I'd rather just not go to them you see?"

I just stared him down not hiding my exasperation. "Well I'm bleeding, bruised and filthy. I'm going. You can leave. You seem to be good at that."

He wilted at my accusation. Getting dressed down by a small child, especially when they were right, was quite a soul-crushing.

I started to walk away with Crum when Miguel called out, "Wait!"

"What? I want this day over."

He walked up to me with a firmness renewed in his shoulders. "I want to thank you. You saved my life several times today. I wouldn't be here without you and all I did was leave to fight for me. I'm a failure as a Trainer, but that's no excuse. Let me give you a Fossil as a reward. Whichever you like."

I paused as I thought about the offer. Once I met Miguel, I had decided to trick him into giving it to me. Now he was giving it to me freely. Somehow though I just couldn't convince myself to take it. Maybe I felt guilty over the Rocket or maybe I was tired. Either way, I couldn't take it.

"Nah, I don't want em. You're more interested in Fossils than I am. I don't want them," I sighed out.

He frowned at my response, "You should be rewarded with something. You deserve that much." Then he looked down at his Sandshrew and smiled. "Well you may not be interested in Fossils, but how about a living Pokémon? Take this Sandshrew. It hates me, and I feel it will be better suited for you."

My eyebrows shot up. Now, this was something I could go for. While not the strongest Ground type it was still a decent threat. I crouched down to face the Sandshrew "Would you like that? To join my team?"

The Sandshrew seemed to contemplate its options before shaking its head profusely.

"Ok. We are a battling team. We are going to be the best. That means I want dedication and your compliance. I'm the boss and Crum here is the leader of you all. You listen to us both. Understand?"

I received another head shake from the sand mouse. I looked back up at Miguel and nodded. He officially released Sandshrew and I tapped a Pokeball to its head. It was captured and soon the ball clicked to signify its success. I heard my Pokedex ding as Sandshrews data was uploaded. I decided to look at it in the morning.

I faced Miguel and held out my hand. "It was fun Miguel. Lets never do it again."

"Agreed. If you ever need anything don't hesitate," he chuckled out. He then began to scurry along the road waving goodbye trying to avoid any Ranger.

I just shook my head and leaned into Crum. We limped together to the Ranger Station ready to sleep deserved rest.


	7. Chapter 7

Cerulean City

My lungs felt like sandpaper. I had inhaled too much dust in that collapse. The Ranger Station would have supplies for my cuts and bruises. Any fractures I might have, probably my knuckles from the Graveler squeezing them, would have to heal in time. A hospital visit could lead to Caroline or even Sam interfering. At a Ranger Station, unless I had life-threatening injuries, they wouldn't report my injuries to any institution. All the League would see is a report that I received medical care, not what or even how I got them.

As I entered the Station, I was immediately crowded by the Rangers there.

"Oh my god. What happened? Where are you hurt? You're shaking," fretted the young girl Ranger. The other Ranger, an older male, went straight into the examination.

"I was attacked by a Graveler. It grabbed me, but my Machop fought it away. It chased us to the entrance and tried to kill us with Explosion. The entrance caved in, and we crawled out," I spoke matter-of-factly. I was too tired to say much else. I also didn't say anything about Team Rocket. It better suited me if the League wasn't as concerned with their activities.

"Well other than looking like you've been put through a grinder; your injuries aren't life-threatening. It seems as if a few bones in your hand may be fractured. You are bruised a lot that's for sure. We will have to stitch this cut on your back. Everything else should heal in time. I recommend going to an actual doctor when you get to Cerulean."

I nodded my head at his assessment. I saw Crum had slumped against the wall. He wasn't asleep, but he was no that far off.

"Wait, Jim. He's just a kid. How did he ever get into the mountain in the first place?" I sighed mentally. I didn't want to deal with this right now. Thankfully this John had my back.

He flashed my Pokedex at her. When had he grabbed that?

"He's not some kid. He has a Badge. The kid needs to rest."

"Could I have that back? Also, please don't go through my things," I spoke out grumbly. How did he grab that? Oh, my bag was open. I was too out of it to even be aware of what was going on.

"Sorry…Mr. Brown. Standard procedure for these things. I just needed your identity. Amy fix him up and give him a bed. I'm going to go out with Dugtrio to clear out that cave-in. Call that slob at the Pewter side and have him send one of his Rangers to help clean up this crap. I'm tired of us just letting this stuff fly. Now we have reason to clean out the tunnels. Sorry, you had to get mauled for that to happen."

"Glad to be of service." Crap. He was going to find that Rocket. Time for me to play the Ignorant Child card. "There may have been other people in the tunnels. I heard voices."

John quirked an eyebrow at this. He walked over to the reception counter and went through some papers. "You sure? I've only had one person enter the caves in the past week except you."

"I heard voices, but I never saw anyone."

"Hmmm, all right. I will figure it out. You get fixed up. We will see how you're feeling in the morning. Amy you got this?"

Amy was still looking in horror at my injuries. I gave out a cough. She jumped and quickly started rushing around trying to grab medical supplies.

"Yessir. You handle the cave. We will be just fine here, won't we sweetie?" All right I'm passing out now. I'm not dealing with this while I'm broke and bleeding.

xxx

I woke up from the bed Ranger Amy had given me. I felt awful. My bones they felt like noodles. Not from the cave-in though. Amy had all the gentleness of a rampaging Gyarados. Crum slept in the room with me during the night. I could see he had fallen asleep against the wall as was his usual manner. I eased up from the single bed and began to dress in a set of my clothes.

I mentally congratulated myself on buying several sets of Trainer gear before I started my journey. My original set of clothes was torn and covered in blood. I could go to a unique tailor in Cerulean to get it fixed later.

I gingerly stepped into the main office of the Station. I saw Amy nursing a cup of coffee as she perused some papers in front of her.

"Morning," I wheezed out. I had coughed out most of the dust out last night, but my lungs were still weak.

"Oh morning. You should sleep some more Mr. Brown. You had a rough night."

I rolled my eyes as I served myself some coffee. Glad I learned to drink it black. It made life so much easier. "I'm fine. I want to get moving. I'm trying to beat the beginning season rush of Trainers to Cerulean."

"Well still," she sighed "It's very impressive you beat Brock already. I only got three badges, and it took me two months to get the first."

"Thank you. Honestly, I didn't want to battle Brocks more powerful Pokémon, so I battled him first. The timing worked well too." Coffee tasted like crap, but it woke me up. I sat down at a table in what looked like the Stations kitchenette.

Ranger Stations were not usually large in size. They worked as outposts for Rangers with there be usually on one Ranger being stationed there fulltime. They rotated out every few months, so the facilities were very spartan. Typically, a front desk in front of the kitchen that connected to two bedrooms. One for the Ranger and one for any visitor.

"So where is…uh…Jim? He still fixing up the cave?"

"Oh yes. He should be back soon. It's about 9oclock, so he's been out there for a few hours. Dugtrio is a fantastic excavator. Though I wouldn't put it past Jim to file his report and pass out." Amy stood up and walked over to the stove and lifted a pan, "Want any bacon?"

Before I could even answer, I heard the patter of feet. Crum rushed into the room with eyes wide open. He leered at the pan in hunger. It was so funny that I couldn't hold my laughter.

"If there is enough for the both of us, yea," I laughed out. Amy let out a giggle and served us some bacon. We sat there for a few minutes gabbing about matches we had seen and where our hometowns were. Usual small talk though Amy never connected my name to Oak. She must not read too many research magazines. A "Smallest Acorn" article popped up every six months or so. Being a celebrity was so hard.

Jim swung the door open and collapsed into the chair beside me. Then he proceeded to nick a few pieces of my bacon. I scowled at him, but he paid no mind.

"How bad was it Jim," Amy questioned. Jim pulled out a flask and took a slug.

"Pretty bad. The kid was right. Graveler did it. How did you piss it off so much?" Jim was fishing to see if I knew about the Rocket.

"I honestly have no idea. I was walking along when it grabbed me. I was lucky that Crum saved me," I said with practiced innocence. Crum pulled a face but nodded along with my story. He knew I was up to something. Thankfully he followed along.

Jim hesitated but took what I said to be the truth. It technically was — just an edited truth.

"Amy, can you help, get me find my glasses? I left them in the room somewhere."

"Huh, but you don't...oh yes. Of course," Amy stuttered out. The Rangers exited the room to likely talk about the body Jim found.

I wasn't worried. Even if the Rangers had proof I was there; I technically did nothing wrong. Kanto did not have a death penalty, but it wasn't for morality's sake. There weren't enough high impact crimes to necessitate a need for it. However, it was no secret that Lance was gunning for its approval regarding Rockets. Their presence made his overall spotless legacy as Champion a bit soiled.

Team Rocket was not well loved. Too many trainers had their careers cut short by having their Pokémon stolen. Pokémon far out populated people, but ones viable for young Trainers to start with weren't. This was the reason why Breeder was such a lucrative career. Wild Pokémon were acceptable if a bred Pokémon was there to provide an example, or the Trainer had the experience to train it.

On the table was Jim's flask. Curiosity got the better of me. I grabbed and sniffed its contents. 'Gah! Whiskey.' If only it had been rum. I placed the flask back and continued to eat.

Jim and Amy returned to the table, though Jim was conspicuously missing his glasses. I doubt he even owned a pair. Contacts were far more practical in his line of work.

Amy's face looked gray and showed apparent shock. She wasn't that much older than me, so this must have been her first dealing with death on the job. Poor girl. Technically this was my first dealing with a person dying in front of me, but I was fine. We finished breakfast in relative silence.

Once we finished, I stood up. "Thank you all very much. I should be going. Do I owe you for the meal or medical supplies?" Jim just waved it off.

"It's fine. We consider it part of the job. The League covers this kind of thing. You sure you want to go already? Seems like your running from something." Jim was not dumb. He was a very sharp individual.

"Nah, I'm running to something. I want to beat Misty before she gets booked too much. Cerulean is a prime starting point for most Trainers."

Jim stared for a bit but ultimately conceded. Ten-year-olds were never considered a threat. "Well, I can't stop you. You're a Trainer with a Badge. Pretty much an adult in the Leagues eyes. Bullshit law in my opinion."

"Jim! He's a child. Watch your language," admonished Amy. Jim just grunted and headed off to the bedroom. "Well all right, Mr. Brown you're free to go. Do me a favor? Call us at the Pokémon Center when you get to Cerulean. For me? So that I know you made it safe."

"Yeah. I can do that. It might be a day or two. I have some training to do before I get to Cerulean." Amy scrunched her face up. She nodded and helped me collect my things.

xxx

I walked down the path with Crum by my side. I was currently looking for a patch of dirt. I wanted to let out Sandshrew to get a better handle on it. Crum was there for moral support as well as being actual support. I still occasionally stumbled, and he was there to catch me. Maybe I needed a walking stick? Nah that would look stupid with anyone below the age of fifty.

The sun hung high in the sky when we found a sand pit. Perfect for Sandshrew. We slid down into the hole and readied to release Sandshrew.

"Crum. Same plan as always. Ready?" Crum nodded his head, and I released Sandshrew.

With a flash of light, my Sandshrew appeared. It blinked as it adjusted to the sun. Then it gave out a happy squeak as it felt the sand underneath it. Next, it burrowed into the sands until only its eyes stared back at me.

Oh, now that was adorable. I sat down cross-legged and stared ahead. Once I realized that the sand rodent wasn't going anywhere, I pulled out my Pokedex.

 _Sandshrew, The Sand Mouse Pokémon. Its body absorbs water without waste due to its arid environment. If it falls from a great height, it can save itself by curling into a ball. This Sandshrew knows the moves: Scratch, Defense Curl, Sand-Attack, Poison Sting, and Rollout. Its ability is Sand Veil. Its natural camouflage allows it to avoid hits more within sandstorms._

Sandshrew was also female. Sandshrew's biology made it difficult to identify its sex. So, this was a surprise.

"So Sandshrew. Yesterday was hectic, and I want to make sure you understand your circumstances." She peered over at Crum. He nodded, and she pulled herself out of the sand. Easy to see where her respect already given to Crum.

This situation was typical of new captures. They despised the Trainer and the Pokémon that beat it or held great respect for them. Sandshrew was a particular case of both. Lucky for me she hated Miguel, who was gone and respected Crum. I was a neutral party. I could work with that.

"I'm the boss. No objections. Crum is otherwise in charge. We have the goal of being better than anyone. We will have many battles. You will struggle. If you listen to me, you will eventually become stronger than any other Sandshrew. If I have my way, any Ground type."

My speech enraptured Sandshrew. Based on her shell she was about two years old. That placed her at just reaching adolescence. She was at the prime age for a battling Sandshrew. She would achieve full maturity in a year, if she didn't evolve first, and have a battling career of at least twenty years. She was a lucky find.

"This will be your last chance. If I release you now, you can still get back home easily. Otherwise, if you become a problem, you will likely be taken by the League to some other area. Now, will you follow me?"

Before I got a response, I saw both Crum and Sandshrew tense up. Then a chill went up my spine. I slowly turned around to see…an Ekans!

"Ahhhhhh!" I fell onto my back and began to crawl back away as fast as possible.

I heard Crum running behind me, but before he got to the snake, a dust cloud rose up. I covered my eyes. When I looked back, I saw the most beautiful sight. Sandshrew was using Rollout to pinball the Ekans. Dirt flew in the air as she repeatedly collided into the devil made flesh. Finally, she slammed into the Ekans so hard it went flying out of the pit.

Crum and I just stared at Sandshrew. I walked over to her and picked her up. I stared into her eyes as she stared back confused.

"Crum let me apologize before I say this. This little Sandshrew is my new favorite. She can now do no wrong." Crum let out a sigh, and Sandshrew let out a happy shriek. "Now since you decided to stay. Do you want a nickname? I like my team to be individuals."

Sandshrew squeaked out an affirmative. Now I had to come up with her new name. Hmmm, Sandslash were initially based on pangolins.

"How do you like the name Pan?"

The smile I received told me I had succeeded on my first try. I set my new favorite back down and saw Crum with arms crossed. He wore a disapproving, but he had a twinkle in his eyes. We knew each other long enough to know when we were teasing each other. It was a big reason why I decided to choose him as my starter. We worked well together.

"Fantastic. Let's give an official introduction to the team. Crum, you start." The Machop plodded along and began to give out small grunts at Pan in a crude form of communication. She just stared back in rapt attention. Crum looked to be enjoying the adoration. They would likely never have a problem with each other. Most of my team were easygoing except for one.

Now it was time for my problem child to come out to meet his new teammate. I released Blink into the sand as he went immediately into attack mode. "Blink stand down. We're fine." He looked around his surroundings and eased up. Then he stared intently at Pan. He recognized her at least.

"This is Pan. She is our newest member. If you remember she helped save us with those Rockets, so she can carry her weight. I expect you to treat her as a part of our team." Blink hesitated a bit. He padded over to Pan. He paced in front of her before letting out a small bark. Pan responded with her own.

Blink was not friendly to anyone I noticed, but he was only aggressive to people outside of the team. It was hard to tell when Shimmer join since you joined so quickly after Blink. Now we had been together for a few weeks, and I had a better grasp of his personality.

Next, I released Shimmer. As soon as she hit the sand, she began to jump about us. She was flinging up sand in cascades. I would have been worried if I didn't recognize her whinnies as joyous. She seemed more concerned about playing in the sand than worrying about the previous attack.

The consciousness of Pokémon was a hot debate. Their biology was what made them able to be captured in the first place, but no one had a firm idea on how aware they were inside. They were aware as there were plenty of cases of them bursting out their ball. On the other hand, there were also stories of balls not activating in dire circumstances. While plenty of companies worldwide manufactured Pokeballs, the Westwood Group were the only ones who had the schematics on the revolutionary device. So, research was…limited.

"Shimmer, if you have finished now I would like you to meet the new member of our team," I exasperatedly sighed. Shimmer was more dog than horse honestly. With a twirl, she faced me with sparkles in her mane. Now she took notice of us crowded together.

She trotted over and greeted us. Then she stuck her nose in Pans face. The two stared each other down. Shimmer let of a snort in Pan's face, and Pan retaliated with sending sand up the Ponyta's nose. Soon the two were playing, and any worries I had about there being a problem between the two was quashed.

"Crum make sure they don't get too out of control. Blink could you follow me." Crum sent a nod and began his role as team nanny. I should get him an apron.

Blink and I exited the pit and walked a few feet away. My head was on a swivel to make sure no Ekans were around. I don't know how, but I had turned into some accidental snake charmer.

"First off. Thank you. You saved our lives yesterday. You took on a far more experienced and mature Pokémon. In my eyes, you won that fight as well." He didn't take the praise well. He wasn't like Crum. Crum was a competitor, and he knew a loss was a learning experience. Blink was a warrior made by nature. To lose was to die. In his eyes, he should have died.

"Hey, I know you think otherwise, but that's why we work together. Your loss is mine. My win is yours. Our win today was surviving. But tomorrow I need a victory." Blink perked up at this. A promise of battle was the best way to get him out of a funk.

"This next Gym is a Water type. You're going to be my ace." Blink gave me a stomp followed by a spark. "However, we aren't going to work on any Electric-type moves today." He cocked his head in surprise. "You have been angry lately. Violent. Now usually I would want you to stop this, but this one time we are going to use it." Again, he looked surprised and a little bit ashamed. That made me hopeful for the future. "Today we are going to learn Bite."

xxx

I walked into Cerulean late in the afternoon. People were getting off work or beginning to head to the restaurants lining the streets. Cerulean was famous for its cosmopolitan atmosphere. Fashion, art, and film all collided in the lagoon of Cerulean. While not Kanto's largest port, that title went to Vermillion, Cerulean's inlet allowed any ships that were coming along the northern coast. Cerulean was the pearl of Kanto.

I was not too fond of it.

Cerulean was too much of a fabrication. It was too designed to produce an image instead of being that image. Now I was in the minority in this, and I was also a bit biased. My idea of beauty was watching a sunset over a hill that had never been touched by man. A starlit sky unmarred by smog. This may not have been my homeworld, but Pallet would always be a place I remembered fondly.

My team was put away except for Pan. She was currently perched on my shoulder and in wonder of the city. I had her out, so I could see if she could behave in urban environments.

She behaved admirably. She truly was on the way to becoming my favorite. Though being ground did give her an unfair advantage.

I maneuvered through the crowds that littered the streets. I was in a bit of a rush to get to the Gym. It was too late to get a match, but I could schedule one for tomorrow. Two badges in two weeks was pretty good for a rookie. Veterans were known to complete a circuit in a whole week if they had a Flier. These were the Trainers who had multiple circuits completed and were trying to get as many Badges as possible to get to a higher seed in the Pokémon League tournament.

As I approached the Cerulean Gym, I was struck again by the similarity of is design of the Gym and its current Leaders type. Shells speckled the walls and had been shined, so they sparkle under the street lights. Stylistic canals surrounded the Gym and through some genuinely spectacular engineering went up the walls to a grand fountain on the roof. Somehow the water followed the waterways even within the walls.

This design was to represent the relationship that Cerulean had with the sea. Now, this was architecture I could get behind. As much as I was a fan of natural beauty, there was something unique about what human ingenuity could accomplish. Suppressing my inner critic, I walked inside.

Behind a desk was a woman that looked like she could have been a model. A fantastically plastic smile was plastered now on her face. "Are you lost, sweetie?"

Oh, joy. She was that kind of adult. This would be like pulling teeth. "Yes. I want to schedule a match with Misty tomorrow." Her smile shrunk a bit at this.

"Oh, honey. Misty would love to battle you, but she can only battle official Trainers." This type of behavior annoyed the crap out of me. While ten was the minimum age to be a Trainer and very few earned a license before thirteen, there were still a few cases of ten-year old's becoming Trainers. Hell, Lance had been ten when he started, and he was the most famous person in the Indigo League.

I slammed my Pokedex down on the counter as the secretary eyebrows shot up. I stared up at her with no humor on my eyes. "When can I come in?"

She had lost all composure at this point and was scrambling with her computer. "Oh yes. Sorry. Um, how does ten o'clock sound? Too early?"

I grabbed my Pokedex back and headed out the door. "Ten is fine. See you then," I called out as I walked away with a smirk. I loved fucking with people like that.

xxx

I was sitting in the Pokémon Center lobby browsing my Pokedex. Sam continually updated it, so there were almost always new articles within its database. He had made it, so approved academics could add articles at any moment. A similar setup to how the Internet had been for the sharing of information among the scientific community by the U.S. government. The Internet existed in this world too. Though it was called just the PC and was the brainchild Bill Sonezaki. Huh, I should visit him while I'm here.

Then the TV flared up as an emergency news broadcast. The whole room and I stared up at to watch.

"Greetings Indigo, I'm Sari Abadi with breaking news. I'm here on the slopes of Mt. Moon here with Ranger Jim Harrison along with the esteemed Elite Four member, Agatha Santhe. Tell me, Ranger Harrison, what have you discovered."

"Thank you, Ms. Abadi. At roughly eleven o'clock my station received a report from a traveling Trainer that the Cerulean side entrance had collapsed from a Graveler explosion. I investigated and found he was indeed correct. I proceeded to excavate when I found an anomaly."

"What did you find if you mind my asking?"

"I do not. I found the body of a wanted criminal, Jamal Davidson. Davidson is known as a member of the criminal group Team Rocket. Upon further investigation I found evidence to suggest multiple members of Team Rocket had been within the depths of Mt. Moon."

"My lord. What were they doing within the mountain?"

"Based on the evidence found at there base camp we believe they were in search of Fossils which were previously found within the cavern system. Once I established the location of the remaining Rockets, I returned to my station and called into the League for support."

"And Madame Agatha what did the League decide?"

"Simple. Once we received news that these little upstarts were crawling in the caves, I led a team of Aces into their base camp. We successfully captured four Rockets, and they are currently in transit to our prison within Mt. Silver. There we will squeeze what information we can out of them then lock them up for a good while."

"Amazing. A few more questions. Were any Fossils recovered? What happened to the previously mentioned trainer? What is the League currently doing regarding the increasing efforts by Team Rocket to destabilize the regions of Kanto and Johto?"

"I can answer a few of those questions. Regarding the trainer, he received injuries from the cave-in, but I judged he did not know of the Rocket presence within the mountain. He left this morning to continue his journey. We have chosen to keep his name secret for his protection. As for the Fossils, the Rockets relayed that they had been unsuccessful with finding any. Though, they did state that they had seen an adult male with some that had escaped them previously. We are currently looking for the individual for questioning."

"Thank you, Mr. Harrison. Now I speak for the League and Champion Lance on the Rocket issue. Team Rocket is a blight. This incident is just another example of the treacherous actions. Their mantra speaks of superiority and bettering the League, but they are ultimately cowards and borderline terrorists. The League does not desire to conduct a witch hunt throughout the region, but we shall protect the population as well always have. That will be all Ms. Abadi."

"Thank you, Madame Agatha. Ranger Harrison. This is Sari Abadi of Indigo News signing off."

The TV turned back to its previous program as the lobby erupted into murmurs. Well crap. Jim covered my ass. Those Rockets must have talked about me if they spoke about Miguel. I guess I better thank him.

I walked over to a phone and called the number Amy gave me. It rang a few times before Amy's face appeared on the screen.

"Oh, Mr. Brown you made it safely to Cerulean. How are you?"

"Uh, I'm fine. I just saw the news."

A stricken look appeared on her face, "Oh my gosh. You must have just realized your attackers were Rockets. You poor baby."

Hadn't Jim told her? Man, he was really covering my ass. "Yea, just now. Is Jim there?"

"

"Yes, he just walked in. Jim! It's Mr. Brown." Amy left the screen to be replaced by Jim.

"Mr. Brown. I'm surprised you called at all."

"I saw the news," I spoke plainly.

"Yeah, I figured. I have one question. Why didn't you tell me," Jim spoke gravely. I felt intense pressure from him even though I was miles away.

"You saw my ID? You know who I am?"

"Yea. Amy may not recognize you, but I know who you are. Albert Brown."

"Well, I'm trying to avoid attention because of that. Besides seeing a someone die in front of me freaked me out."

Jim let out a hum. "Ok. I can understand that. I trusted that someone like you would not truly be involved that's why I kept you out of the news report. Your name is still in the official League report, but only League officials we see it."

I let out a sigh of relief. I had spun thus to work out for me. "Thank you."

"Do me a favor kid? Remember that the League is out here for your protection. I have no doubt, you being who are, can handle yourself. Just keep in mind that it's the adults' job to watch out for you. You don't have to do anything alone."

Pssh, I am an adult. "Thank you, Jim. I appreciate everything. Night."

"Night, Mr. Brown."

After that bit of stress, I head to my room to try to sleep away my worries. As I laid in bed, I looked at my prospects. League might be suspicious of me. My status as a golden boy prodigy might have become compromised. People were taking notice of Albert Brown in a bad way. As I fell asleep one thought crossed my, I had to go with Plan C.

xxx

Misty was famous. Now all Gym Leaders were famous on account of their Trainer careers. Misty was unique even among them. A born daughter of Cerulean elite that refused to have a silver spoon life affect her training career. Sh won the Indigo League at age fifteen. She achieved the title of a Water-type Pokémon master by seventeen. Gym leader at eighteen. Now she was a worldwide celebrity who was the face of various fashion, makeup, and footwear lines. Supermodel, philanthropist, and humanitarian. The perfect star.

Also, she was a grade A bitch.

Currently, she was laughing her ass off at my challenge. Well, not my challenge per se. Just the fact a ten-year-old was doing so. Like I said, bitch.

"Hahaha, oh I'm sorry. I thought this was serious. Did Megan plan this? Yolanda? This is great," Misty continued to say between laughing fits. She was literally holding her sides! All right. I was done with this crap.

"No joke. I'm here to kick your ass," I sneered out. She stopped short on this. Now she realized this wasn't a joke.

"Hey, kid. It's cute that you're trying to be a Trainer, but I only take real challenges. I'm too busy to joke around for too long." My patience was gone.

"Fuck. You."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm fucking Albert Brown. I'm not just some fucking kid. Now get over to your side. This is my second Gym challenge. Fix your team accordingly." I was tired of beating treated like a child. Even if I was a child in everyone else's eyes, I had still proven my capabilities to be beyond most adults by this point in this life.

"I don't care if you are Lance Wataru. You won't speak to me like that. Now I can deny any Gym challenge. Go find another one which I find unlikely."

I let out a calming breath. "I'm an Acorn, you idiot. I've already beat Brock a few days ago. Look at my damn ID."

She finally let up enough to check out my profile. Realization dawned on her face followed by a pained grimace. "You still shouldn't talk to an adult like that kid," she said while turning away with a blush of embarrassment.

"Well act like one and do your job. Let's get this over with."

She let out a defeated sigh and walked over to her side of the battling area. Unsurprisingly, it was a giant pool that was the length and width of a football field — both kinds of football by the way. Fields are usually the same length. Besides the facts, three floating platforms resembled lily pads in design.

Misty reached her end of the pool and typed into a computer on the back wall. Two Pokeballs came out a pneumatic tube descending from the ceiling. She turned around, and despite the distance, I could see a serious look on her face.

"This will be a two versus two matches. No switch. Challenger are you ready?"

I palmed Crum's ball in my hand and called back, "I am ready!"

"Begin!"

Crum landed on the nearest platform ready for combat. I had gone with him because Pan and Shimmer were too weak against Water. Crum's role was to scout out how Misty was going to battle this match. I told him as much. He wasn't happy about being a scapegoat but understood my strategy. I needed to see if Misty was going to follow her game team or not. Judging on the Staryu that appeared my plan would be unchanged.

"Staryu, Water Pulse and rush the platform."

"Crum, dodge. Churn up that water." Crum rolled away from the attack into the pool. He started to kick in the water. Even with his stubby legs, the Machop made waves in the pool. He didn't have as much impact on the battlefield as I thought, but he did enough to disrupt the Staryus charging upon the water's surface.

"Staryu, dive. Tackle from beneath." The star-shaped Pokémon dipped into the water and curved up into Crum. He was sent flying into the air when I experienced déjà vu.

"Crum, Chop Drop." Crum caught on to my plan, and as he started to drop from the air, his hand began to glow with Karate Chop. Like a stone, he dropped back into the pool. The Staryu moved quickly out of the way, but Crum still displaced the water. Water fell like rain as Crum began to swim back to the top.

"Crum come back here. You're done." There wasn't anything that he could do here. Though he may have just given me an opportunity to capitalize on now. I then returned him to his Pokeball.

"Are you surrendering," Misty yelled out. Hard to tell, but I detected a hint of smugness in her tone. Bitch.

"Just this fight. I have one more Pokémon." I was going to wipe that grin off her face — time for the real fight to begin.

"Go, Blink." Blink came out with no grandstanding. We had been planning most of the past two days preparing for this fight. He knew not just how important this match was, but also on how it was all in his shoulders.

"You think one Shinx can beat my whole team? Are you sure you beat Brock," Misty snarked at me. Blink growled back. Good to know he had my back.

"Not one Shinx. This Shinx." Blink preened at the commendation but immediately got back to business.

"Whatever, kid. Begin!"

"Blink, start spinning." He began to spin on the platform as he builds up a charge. Shinx built electricity by contracting the muscles in their legs. Once they evolved, they gained the ability to freely conduct electricity like most Electric-types, until then Blink needed to have room to run.

Misty wouldn't know this tidbit since she specialized in Water. I was a biologist. My specialty was every type.

"Staryu, onto a platform," yelled out Misty, "You can't shock Staryu if it's out of the water."

Usually, she would be right, but not this time.

Blink went straight in Spark-Charge and jumped into the pool. Electricity arced throughout the pool. The current jumped across the pool until it coursed up onto the platform straight into the Staryu. By the time Blink had let off all his electricity, Staryu was charred.

"What! How?"

"Simple. Earlier when Crum crashed into the water, he sent it flying across the pool even onto the platforms. So, when Blink shocked the pool, it was easy for the electricity to jump from the pool onto the water on the platform into Staryu. Like I said, simple." I folded my arms and flashed a satisfied smirk at Misty.

"You're telling me you planned this," Misty yelled at me with utter surprise.

"Of course, I did." I had not.

I was just lucky. Crum was just there to show me what team Misty would use. The gigantic splash was mere serendipity. Misty didn't need to know that.

"Grr. Well, let's see how you deal with this." Then Misty pressed a button behind here, and the pool began to drain.

"Wait. What?" Now I was surprised. I did not expect for Misty to take away her battlefield advantage not long after the pool was empty with only the platforms and Blink remaining.

Blink was just as surprised as I was. He looked back for guidance. I merely nodded at him to signify to carry on. We could work with this. Now he had the whole pool to run around.

"Go, Starmie" Misty let out with a battle cry. The Mysterious Pokémon stood alone on Misty's side. The surprise had become replaced by self-satisfaction. "Begin!"

"Blink, Charge." He began to run straight at the Starmie building up electricity.

"Starmie, use Rapid Spin." The Starmie began to twirl like a fan as it began to ricochet off the pool walls. I was confused at first because they weren't hitting Blink. Then my cheek felt wet.

Misty was using Rapid Spin to act as a vacuum to pull the remaining moisture out of their side of the pool. This tactic was honestly genius. The speed that Starmie needed for this was astounding. They must have practiced this technique for days if not weeks to get it to this level of perfection.

Misty wasn't going to let me shock Starmie like we had Staryu. Too bad for her that wasn't my plan.

"Starmie, keep spinning. Take a few shots at that Shinx."

"Blink build up more speed. Get as fast as you can. Spark-Charge." Blink was incapable of catching up with Starmie, but while it was crisscrossing above Blink, it was impossible for it to avoid the electricity that rolled of Blink. While it wouldn't do as much damage as a head-on Spark, the continual shocking would start to affect the Water type.

"Starmie. That's good. Recover." Starmie landed and began to use that bastard technique to heal itself. All according to plan.

"Blink, now!"

Recover was a fascinating technique. It had a Pokémon use its Psychic energy or prowess to focus on its injured areas to a cellular level to increase its natural healing. However, it was hard for a Pokémon to focus if was coated in Dark energy.

While Starmie was still and focused on healing, Blink rushed at it in a leap. He crashed into it and sunk his fangs into its jewel with a Bite. The pool began to flash with pinkish light as the Starmie started to panic.

Dark type was an unusual type. Some stated it was the embodiment of evil taken form in Pokémon. Others had the thought they were Pokémon that tapped in a different dimension comprised of chaotic energy. Another camp thought Dark types were just cheap tricks and unfair techniques. I tended to believe that it fell more into a conglomeration of all three with it varying between species.

Either way, Dark-type moves were unnatural compared to the rest of the world. This abnormality was why they were so effective on Psychics who were far more in tune with the natural world. Thankfully for me, Starmie was part Psychic.

"Starmie! Shake it off!" Misty had lost control of her Pokémon. Psychic tend to freak out when exposed to Dark moves even as base level as Bite was. It honestly wasn't her fault. This Starmie was likely trained to be at this level specifically for the Gym. As a Gym Leader she to have Pokémon suitable for any number Badge Challenge. Misty's League team was far more formidable and better trained than this.

"Blink hang on. You got this!" The flashing of Starmies was starting to become less frantic which meant the Dark energies of Bite had seeped into it. Now it was only a matter of time before it fainted in shock.

"Call it. Its done Misty." She frowned, but she wasn't going to hurt her Pokémon for pride needlessly. She was a bitch in my eyes, but not cruel. She returned her Pokémon as I climbed down into the pool.

"Blink, come here." The electric cub came running up to me as I kneeled in front of him. "That was amazing buddy. Did everything like we planned and even when things changed you adapted. That's exactly what I want out of you." Blink puffed up at the attention given to him. I began to stroke him behind the ears as I continued my praise. "We couldn't have done this at all without you. This was all you today. You took a couple of shots, so I'm going to let you rest the rest of today. This was your win."

Blink gave out a purr and even jumped up to lick my face. I got a slight tingle from as I laughed at the affection. I returned him and faced the approaching Gym Leader.

"Congratulations and I'm sorry. I should have taken your challenge more serious. My Pokémon suffered for that, and I lost. Though you would have won anyway, that was great battling."

"Thanks. Sorry for being a dick. I have anger issues and being called 'just a kid' pisses me off."

"You know you really shouldn't talk like that."

"Don't act like a bitch and I won't," I smirked back at her.

She just sighed, but I swear I saw a smile in there somewhere. "Well, I guess I don't have any room to talk. My agent is constantly telling to watch my mouth when I'm in public. Fame sucks."

"Yeah, you got that right." We shared a smile. We may not like each other at this point, but we at least we understood each other now.

"Let's get you your badge, kid. Where you off to next?"

"I'm going to take the Nugget Bridge challenge," I said refusing to look her in the eye.

xxx

I walked to the Nugget Bridge with my new Cascade Bang within my case, and an electronic copy encoded to my Trainer ID. I wasn't nervous about the Gym challenge. I was sweating this. I knew what was coming in a way, but I was about to change everything.

"Welcome young man. Would you like to take on the Nugget Bridge Challenge," a man behind a counter spoke. It was a simple stand set up in front of the bridge. Just a collection of scrap wood built into a barely stable structure that belied the resources of its builders.

"Yeah. It's a hundred bucks to challenge right?"

The man only smiled at me and took my money. How such an obvious scam was allowed I would never know.

The challenge was a bit…underwhelming. I used Shimmer and Pan to give them some more battle experience. Shimmer hadn't battled since Route 3 and Pan was still learning to follow my commands. The Pidgey and Rattata were pure fodder for them. Finally, I reached the end of the bridge.

"Congratulations. You beat the Nugget Bridge challenge. Its been awhile since we've had a winner. We were just about to shut down, so even greater congratulations. This is our last Nugget," he beamed at me while handing me the golden rock. The man had purple hair that poofed up the middle of his head. He looked to be in his mid to late twenties.

"Thank you. I'm sorry to hear that."

"Oh, it's fine. The company I worked for simply wanted to test upcoming Trainers. Hey, how would you like to battle?"

"Id love to." I felt like I was going to throw up. This man was a Rocket. I hadn't been sure until now. I was battling just days after causing another to die.

"Go Rattata," he called out. What came out was in the top percentage of Rattata. Some Trainers refused to evolve their Pokémon to maximize a specific aspect of a species. Rattata was a common one for this as while the body eventually plateau its teeth and jaw strength did not. Raticate didn't have the same potential as its previous form in regards to biting power and based on this particular one's teeth, and it had achieved it.

"Crum, go," I called out trying to hide the trembling in my voice. Crum came out and immediately noticed my stress, but he couldn't place why. As close as we were no one could understand the conflict I was having right now.

The purple-haired man let out a whistle, "That's a good looking Machop. Where you get him?"

"I got him from Professor Oak. I'm an Acorn." I saw a hungry flash in his eyes.

"Well, well. Didn't realize I was dealing with a celebrity. Let's battle. Rattata Quick Fang."

No preamble here. "Crum, Focus-Sweep." The rat charged at Crum, but he dodged straight into a Low Sweep. The Rattata cried out as it flew past Crum with heavily injured legs.

"Tch. Rattata use Double-Edge into Flail." The man didn't seem concerned about the damage to his Pokémon. Instead, he wore a devilish smile.

"Crum take the Double-Edge and go in Seismic Toss. Don't let go. Just keep slamming it instead."

Crum took the Double-Edge with a cry of pain, but he sidestepped to grab the Rattatas tail. Then the next five seconds were the most brutal I had ever seen Crum. By the end of it, the Rattata had visible broken bones, and Crum was staring back at me in horror.

"Crum, come here." He walked woodenly to me until he was before me looking down. Then I whispered to him, "This wasn't your fault. This was mine." He quickly looked back up to me in surprise. "It's my job as the Trainer not to ask too much of you. I did that today, and though I wish it weren't true, I'm going to continue doing this. I won't risk your health, but we are going to do some unsavory things." Crum's face had now morphed into confusion as he digested my words. "I need you to trust me even in those situations. We are all we have. Can we do this?" As I finished my monologue, I placed my hand on his shoulder and stared back at him.

We stood together in silence. Then Crum placed his hand on my shoulder. He stared back at me with a fire in his eyes. A light that spoke of his trust in him. I hope I didn't shatter it too soon.

"Well, you done having a moment, Acorn?"

"Yeah, sorry. Just needed to get some stuff settled. You're Rattata ok?"

"Oh, that thing? Yea its not even mine. Think of it as a loan Pokémon. However, that was some great battling. I can tell that you are a top tier Trainer. So, I got a proposition for you?" My mouth went dry.

"Oh?"

"I represent Team Rocket. I know that you've heard all this bad news surrounding us, but we are the good guys. The League has been oppressing people for years. We at Team Rocket are the few that will rise against them. Now you seem like a smart and capable Trainer, are you interested in joining," he rambled out as if reading out a speech. He probably was.

There are some moments when you are given a crossroads. Everyone has them. Though some roads that have never been traveled. Paths that should never be traversed, but those same roads were sometimes the most cost-effective. I was going down one of those roads.

"Yes. I am."


	8. Chapter 8

A Cottage and a Covenant

A single light flickered in the underground room. I was seated at a table staring at the door in front of me. I had been alone in this room for a whole hour. I felt a presence watching, but I couldn't tell from where. My only company was the rooms dark corners and my thoughts.

Why show myself to Team Rocket? Agreeing to be conscripted? It was lunacy. All I could think was that I had made a deal with the devil.

Plan C was my Hail Mary. It was simple in concept. Join Team Rocket and use their resources to acquire a Legendary that could send me home. Multiple Legendaries, such as Hoopa or Jirachi, had this capability I merely needed the strength to catch one. With the right Legendary, I could remake my life new. No mistakes. No early death. I could see my family again. I just needed more power.

That was what I needed now, strength. My team was fantastic, but I needed powerhouses, and I was not doing well as a Trainer either. I had caught one Pokémon, and the rest had joined me of their own free will. I couldn't wait any longer to reach the level needed for attaining the title of Champion. Ten years was too long, and I wasn't going to wait for one more.

Desperation was guiding my actions, but after pulling the trigger, I was more than sure of myself. I was smarter than most of the world. I knew all the major events that would be occurring, so I had that advantage as well. Lastly, I knew that Giovanni could be beaten by a ten-year-old. I was this worlds version of a protagonist. I had too many similarities among the originals not to be. My victory was assured. I only needed to place myself in the right situation.

The door swung open as a man in a white suit walked into the room. He had bluish hair with an angular face. The way he carried himself spoke of quiet confidence that was enforced by his precise movements. He moved with purpose and fluidity. From behind his back, he pulled a file.

"Albert Brown," he spoke languished over the syllables of my name. "Protegee of the esteemed Professor Oak. Published under the name Albert Einstein. You have successfully earned two badges. Parents are Caroline Brown, a very popular broker associated with the League, and…"

"Id prefer you not bring up the prick," I interrupted. This body's father was in no way mine. Caroline was a lovely substitute, but she was no Mama.

"Mm, not fond of your father. Very well. It's obvious we know who you are, and you know us, but the question is why such a pedigreed child would side against the Leagues most hated enemy?" The white-suited man was difficult to read. Minimal facial movements complimented by hard, calculating eyes told me very little. Often people would lower their guard around me, but this man regarded me as a genuine threat. How flattering.

"That's easy. The League took my Father away, not that he complained. My Mother was practically forced to raise me alone. Samuel Oak is an amazing scientist, but he is blind to the world. I would say he is the perfect stand-in for the Leagues failures if Champion Lance didn't exist." I shifted in my chair to show a more relaxed position. This change would give the impression that I was not worried about this interrogation.

I continued with my practiced lines against the League, "The League exists only to ensure that select individuals rise to power. How many Gym Leaders and Elites weren't already someone of importance before attaining their positions? The had friends that made sure they got where they were while systematically making sure the other ninety percent of Trainers never amounted to more than a Championship placement."

"I was born with that same silver spoon. Unlike my peers though I truly deserve my place. I agree wholeheartedly with Team Rocket. The League is a cancer. Team Rocket is the cure," I ended my diatribe with forced passion. Thankfully, I had become quite a skilled actor over the past decade of acting the child.

The man stared back at me with steepled fingers. He held his now hungry gaze and asked, "What is it that you want Mr. Brown?"

To his question, I answered truthfully, "I want to be the best there ever was."

I laughed internally at the quote that went unknown by the Rocket.

For the first time in our entire conversation, he smiled. "Well Mr. Brown I believe this may be the beginning of a wonderful partnership, but first I have a mission for you to prove yourself. Oh, and call me Archer."

xxx

We exited the room as we began to walk through the underground complex. Archer began to explain the mission he wished me to complete casually.

"The mission is simple. A resident of Cerulean has come into the ownership of a TM that we believe is underutilized in his possession. You are to steal it and return here. The only caveat is you must not be caught nor bring the police down us. Understood?" he next handed me a file on the mission as we walked up a flight of stairs.

I absorbed the information when I asked a question, "Do I get a disguise?"

"A disguise? Why would you need a disguise?" he spoke out puzzled.

"I'm a bit of a celebrity you know. It is a whole lot easier for me to complete missions if I'm not spotted immediately. Besides I'm much better at working in the shadows."

Archers eyes flashed as some unknown emotion passed over him. "Hmm, a fair point Mr. Brown. I assumed your status as a child would be an adequate cover, but your fame does precede you in certain circles. You should be fine in this instance. If you are successful, I will endeavor to acquire such effects. First, we must figure out your capabilities."

I nodded as we exited the stairwell into an open room. Bikes lined the wall as people browsed them.

"Mr. Apollo was the meeting successful?" questioned a man in a polo with Miracle Cycle emblazoned across his heart.

"Quite lucrative. Mr. Brown will be receiving that package for us. He will return with it by the end of the day, or his services will be…terminated," Archer spoke with a thin amused smile. That implied threat was too obvious. Someone watched one too many cartoons.

The bike shop smiled a predatory grin down at me, "Well good luck, son. We'll be waiting."

I nodded at the two disguised Rockets and exited the bike shop that covered as a Rocket safehouse. I casually walked away down the bustling streets. It was just after lunch, so the crowds were sluggish. I used them to hide my path as I slipped down an alley. I flattened up against a wall as I released my breath.

Then a grin grew on my face. I had finally made progress. Two dicey Gym battles had me worried, but this successful infiltration told me that I had made the right choice. Now I needed to pay the piper. I released Crum who wore a venomous glare at me. I saw that coming.

"Look I know you're mad, but I can explain." He snorted in response with a turned head. Crum had lived with people long enough to know that Team Rocket was terrible news. The others wouldn't have made that connection yet, so they were not a concern. I just happened to mess up and have my starter out when I accepted the Rocket offer.

"Listen, we aren't truly joining Team Rocket," I pleaded at him. He raised a brow back waiting for me to continue. "Well, ok we are, but it's complicated." He let out an exasperated huff and threw his arms up. I should get straight to the point.

"We are lying to them," I whispered into his ear as I didn't know if someone tailed me. He straightened up as he leveled a stare back at me. "We will work with Team Rocket only to tell the League what they are doing. We act like the bad guys to be the good guys." He had caught on now and seemed more open.

"The plan is to act as we agree with them. Move up the ranks. Find the identity of the mysterious leader and have the League swoop in to save the day," I concluded. He paced, a habit he learned from watching me, as he processed what I said. "You know as well as I do that Team Rocket has run circles around the League. We could be the ones not just to save Kanto, but the world."

I waited to see his reaction. Finally, he stood still and gave me a nod. I knew I could trust his noble spirit. I wish I didn't have to hide the complete truth from him.

"Thanks for trusting me. I know it's a lot, but we are going to do some real good." He grunted at me in response. Then he gestured with his hand across his neck with a furrowed face. Amazing what Pokémon pick up from people. "No. I won't kill anyone. I refuse to do so. I plan to show the Rockets we are better at information gathering, not fighters." He nodded again to show his agreement. "We, as a rule, won't do anything to hurt people. Remember we are the good guys." Crum smiled at this.

"Now let's go break into a house and steal some crap," I grinned at him. Crum let out a defeated sigh.

xxx

Crum and I were walking through an affluent area of Cerulean. The address in the file had its place in a complex of houses. Houses that all looked the same. I hate the suburbs.

Crum had eased up now that he heard my plan. He didn't like it if his body language was anything to go by, but he at least wasn't thinking of ripping my head off — not an exaggeration with his strength. We eventually found the address. It certainly not what I was expecting.

This "house" was honest to goodness mansion except for one detail. It looked abandoned.

Maybe not abandoned, but lifeless. Someone lived here as the lawn was kept cut. I tried peering through the gate to see if I could see any cars, but I had no luck. I figured I just needed to hop the wall. If I got caught, I would act like I was some curious kid.

"Crum help me the wall," I said as I raised one foot for him to cradle. An evil smile spread across his reptilian face. Before I could stop him, I was flying over the wall as he launched me over.

"Oof," I groaned out as I landed on my side. I guess I deserve that. It had been a while since we had last messed with each other like this. I heard a thud as I saw Crum land on his feet. He just smirked at me lying on the ground.

"Ass." He just chuckled a laugh as I dusted myself off.

We walked up to the front double door as we looked for any signs of movement, but saw nothing. Could this be some trap set up by Archer? It was a possibility. That would through a wrench in my plan, but I would have to fall back on becoming Champion.

I jimmied the door handle. It was locked. So not an obvious trap.

"Crum break the door," I ordered. He gave me frown instead. "It's just a door. These people seem like they can buy plenty," I sighed out. He relented and crushed the handle along with the lock. Cheaper to replace that over a whole door, I guess.

We peeked in to see if anyone had heard the noise. It was quiet, too…. Nope, we are avoiding that cliché. We tiptoed into the foyer as I looked around.

"Okay, Crum. We are looking for a disc, like a CD. It may even be inside what looks like a CD player. You know what that is?" he nodded in understanding and went left to find our objective.

Technical Machines or more commonly known, TMs, were discs encoded with the information on specific Pokémon moves. Another product of Westwood Technologies that was leased out to several companies in the world, this particular invention was far less regulated than Pokeballs. New moves were coming out all the time. Technical Machines consisted of two parts: the machine itself and the discs that held the move. In this world, it was the machine that had limited use. The drives were reusable though they were fragile. The machine part was a Platinum model, one that supposedly never broke, but those were so rarely manufactured and expensive. Even Sam with his income could only responsibly buy two.

Crum may have known what a TM was, but I couldn't be sure. He had seen lab assistants with CD players, so that was our best bet.

I was looking for any office or bedroom. The manors owner, Raul Tejada, was not a name I recognized, so I assumed he was some rich mucky muck that didn't work. The kind that sat around and let money come his way.

I walked through the bottom floor until I connected back with Crum. "Nothing?" he just shook his head. This house was large. It took us around thirty minutes to even see each other again.

Nervousness started to rise within me. The more time spent here was more time to get caught. We returned to the foyer and headed up the stairs. This time we stuck together to go through the rooms faster.

Finally, we reached what looked like a study. We entered and saw a room full of newspaper clippings. They were all on Team Rocket. Judging on the way the pictures had knives in them the owner must not have been a fan.

We canvased the room until the only thing left was the desk in the middle of the room. I tugged on the central drawer to no avail. "Hey, buddy a little help?" Crum just grunted and shoved me lightly aside. Next, he pulled on the drawer. He pulled a little too hard.

Papers went flying in the air. I swatted them away as Crum looked away embarrassed. Looks like he still hadn't learned to limit his strength perfectly yet.

Among the scattered papers on the far side of the room was what we were looking for, even better the TM was a Gold model. "Sweet. Crum grab that will ya?" Crum acquiesced as a paper caught my eye. I picked up as I read the signature. The signature was that of the owner, but below that was his title, Chief of Police. Ah, crap.

I heard a car pull up. Double crap! I peered out the window to see a police cruiser. Of course, who would step out but chief Tejada himself. He began to walk to his door when he probably saw its handle broken. Then he pulled a gun.

"Crum toss that over here. We need to leave now!" He caught onto my duress and tossed me the TM. I shoved it into my pack and began to formulate an escape plan. It was not a good plan.

Tejada was coming through the front door. I had previously looked at the backyard area. It was less distance to escape by going out the front.

"Crum pick me up," I demanded. He looked at me strangely, but he picked me up in a princes-carry. "Crum jump through the window!" He stared down at me in disbelief. "Now!"

He took a few steps back and charged at the window. Briefly, I thought these windows might be bulletproof since this was the Police Chiefs house, but we thankfully found out that they weren't Crum proof. Glass showered around us we crashed through the window. Crum tried to cover me from the shards as we fell.

Once we landed, I jumped out of his arms and yelled: "Run!" We sprinted the yard that was half the length of a football field to escape. I heard gunfire as we hit the wall.

"Toss me!" Crum didn't hesitate to throw me over the wall a second time as I landed hard on the asphalt road. As I turned, I saw Crum land, and I returned him. I quickly ran towards a bench down the road. I sat down and pulled out my Pokedex and began to act like I was going through.

Bursting from behind the gate came Chief Tejada in his cruiser as he peeled out past me. I thought I saw him stare at me, but if he did, he quickly looked away. A ten-year-old was not a likely suspect. As he drove away with his sirens blaring, I slumped in the bench.

Mission accomplished, I guess.

xxx

The Bike Shop was closed when I walked in. The manager was waiting behind the counter as he let out a whistle.

"Nice job, kid. The whole city is looking for you. Want to hear your description?"

"Sure, thrill me."

He typed on a PC in front of him as he read of my description, "Suspect is a white male, approximately six-foot, thin build. Dark jacket and jeans. It sounds like the Chief is a bit rusty at identification huh?"

"Yeah," I blandly spat as I placed the TM on the counter.

"What's that?"

"Uh, the thing Archer wanted me to steal." I was confused now.

"Oh that. Keep it. We just wanted to test you and embarrass Tejada. Guys got a hardon for us," the Rocket laughed.

"Yea I noticed. Where is Archer?" I tired of dealing with this small fry

"He said if you made it back to meet him at Café Azuré. Before you go, I got a little graduation gift for you."

"Graduation?" I was confused again.

"Well I don't know what exactly, but you proved you are a whole lot more capable than our usual Grunts. I bet you become a Field Op like me. Though since you're a Trainer, you will be moving around a lot," he mused. He ducked behind the counter as he pulled out a collapsed mass of metal. It took me a few seconds to realize it was a Bike. "Here. You're going to need this. I overcharge everyone anyway. Ha-ha!"

I stuffed the Bike into one of my Deep bags. Thank you, Westwood Technologies. "Thanks…uh. I never got your name."

"Oh, we don't do names in Team Rocket. Just titles. We are a unit. Serve the greater whole. You got to be special to go by your name, like Archer."

"Will I be that important," I wondered with genuine curiosity.

"We'll see kid. We'll see."

xxx

Café Azuré was simple to find. It was high-class Kalos, I mean, French restaurant. I felt very underdressed, but they let me in. I was escorted to a back booth where I saw Archer dining on what looked like Ducklett.

"Ah, Al. May I call you Al? Sit down, please. Order whatever you like. What will you have?" Archer was far more animated than when I previously saw him. He was smiling and had a glow about him.

"I will have what you are. It looks delicious. Ducklett?"

"Good eye. Yes, quite expensive to have it imported from Kalos, but I find their regional variant to be quite delectable. Now tell me about your mission. I hear you have old Raul in a tither."

"Yes. Thank you for sending me into the Chief of Polices home," I grumbled out as I was poured a glass of water.

"One must expect the unexpected. Also, Alain give him some wine. We are all friends here," Archer cheered out. The waiter, Alain, deftly poured me a glass of wine. I guess it didn't matter to Team Rocket if I drank underage. I had just committed a theft.

I sipped the wine. I kept from visibly showing my displeasure. The wine was very dry and thus not fitting my palate. A sommelier I was not.

"Well, it's not much. I went over the wall. I broke through the front door. Search downstairs followed by upstairs. Then I found his study. I had my Pokemon ripped open his desk. Found the TM and exactly who I was robbing. Then I was lucky enough to see him drive up. Jumped through the window and ran away while getting shot. Gave him the slip as he wouldn't think that it was a child that stole from him." I swirled my wine glass. I honestly had no idea what this was for only that I had seen it done.

"My what an exciting time. I hope we can find enough missions to match it," Archer noted from behind his serviette. "You've had a very profitable day. A Gym Badge with all it associated winnings. A Nugget from our little scouting endeavor and finally your rewards for joining us. I take it you have a better understanding of how beneficial being with Team Rocket is."

"Far greater than I thought prior," I replied as I took a sip of wine.

"You have a wonderfully well-mannered way of speaking; I assume the Professors doing?" Archer smiled as a spider would to a fly caught in its web.

"Yes. Intelligence is worthless if held back by a crass mouth." You smarmy shit.

"Well enough pleasantries," Archer hummed as he placed down his fork and knife. He slid a small hinged box towards me. I raised an eyebrow as I opened it.

"Is this a…."

"A Poketech? Yes. Untraceable too. Currently, it only has my number, but feel free to add whoever. Your Mother perhaps." Archer whispered. Fear stiffened me. I hadn't thought about it during my interview, but there should have been no way for them to know I earned my Badge earlier today. That wouldn't be officially known till tomorrow. The prick was easy to find in League records, but Caroline was not so easy to find. She liked her privacy. That was why she lived in Pallet Town. This information that Team Rocket shouldn't have.

"Seems like a lot for a recruit." I felt sweat fall down my neck. I had to remain composed. I couldn't let Archer know he got to me.

"Oh, you're not just some recruit, Al. You're an Acorn the last one in almost ten years and the youngest to ever exist. Genius intelligence. A myriad of connections. Besides all this an up and coming Battler. I would think you were too good to be true if your story didn't check out."

"Oh," I spoke out intrigued on what he meant.

"I noticed your reaction to your father. It turns out you haven't spoken to him in two years. It makes your story far sounder now I have evidence of your complaints." Damn didn't realize it had been that long. I guess the guy being a prick wasn't a bad thing now.

"I'm glad my familial issues could validate me."

Archer barked out a laugh. "Oh, I think we will get along just fine, , I have already decided to take you under my wing. From now on you will work directly for me." My eyes widened at that. I wasn't expecting that.

"Excuse me?"

"You shall only answer to myself or the Boss if he so deems you ready. However, you may still have to prove yourself."

More trials? This was getting annoying. "What else," I growled through grit teeth. Why threaten me if he was going to hold me back?

"Now, now. Don't get testy. You will still go on missions, and I will even get you your disguise you need. I have judged you to be better suited to more clandestine missions. The Boss has simply stated that he is unsure of your battling capability. He wishes for you to earn two more badges before we look at giving you more responsibility."

Archer finished his wine. "You are a diamond, Al. I merely wish to make sure you are completely polished before showing you off to the world. We will do great things together. You have to trust me."

I trust you like I trust Shimmer to behave. "Understandable. Anything else?"

"Yes." Now the jovial atmosphere had dissipated as Archer stared me down. He spoke to me with hooded eyes and veiled fury, "If I ever find out that you have betrayed Team Rocket or the Boss. I will personally make sure you see me break your mother in front of you. Oaks lab will burn to the ground. Nothing will protect you from my vengeance. Everything you hold dear will be dust. Am I understood?"

I gulped. I was okay with my actions hurting me, but Caroline was innocent in all this. I needed to walk this line carefully. I had never thought about how my actions could harm others, at least not like this. I was not going to return home atop a pile of corpses.

"Crystal, sir."

"Good, enjoy your dinner. I will call you when I have a mission for you. I look forward to working together, Albert Brown," Archer called to me as he left the restaurant.

My food was placed in front of me as I sat there alone with only myself to keep me company.

xxx

I stood in front of Bills seaside cottage. I had come here for a few reasons. One Bill was a colleague and second was I needed to distract myself from the previous night.

After Archer left, I devoured my dinner and hurried back to the Pokémon Center. I thought I would have been too stressed, but I collapsed on the bed immediately. When I woke up, it all came crashing down.

The biggest worry was that my failure could affect others. I had only ever thought about myself since being reborn. These people weren't real in the same way I was, but in their eyes, this was the actual reality. Up to now, I had done everything alone, but now I needed advice. There was only one person I considered to be smarter than myself.

That was why I was in front of Bills house. He was the closest thing I had to a friend these past six years. When I first joined the Lab and was visiting several scientific conventions, I had met Bill. We bonded over our shared wunderkind status. The fact that we didn't belittle each other's abilities because of our age was more the reason in my mind.

Bill finally got fed up and became a hermit here on the Cerulean coastline. By now he was in his twenties, but the solitary life had become too seductive to him. We only contacted each other for reviews over articles or the like now though I needed a little guidance.

Sam would catch on to what I was doing since he was so involved with the League. Caroline was the only other person I trusted, and she would go Mom mode. She'd tear apart the whole of Kanto if she thought I was in trouble. There wasn't anyone else I was close to. Well except for Lara, but I wasn't going to increase the list of people that would miss me.

I knocked on Bill's door. No response. Not surprising considering how antisocial Bill was. I knew him well enough to know that he rarely locked the door. His Pokémon, the entire Eevee line, was a sufficient deterrent.

As I opened the door, I was tackled by his Flareon. My face was covered in licks as I sputtered, "Booster, stop. Get off me."

I shoved Booster off as I stood up. He jumped around me as I heard thunder. I looked up to see the rest of Bills Pokémon charging. Soon I was I on my back drowning in Sylveon, Espeon, and Jolten fur. Before I could get out of the Eeveelution pile, I was dragged inside by Shower, Bills Vaporeon, and Blacky, his Umbreon, into the house by my pant leg.

"Hey, stop that let me up," I yelled at the two, but now the others had joined in as was lifted off the ground. I hung in the air as they carried me through the house. The dropped me in a well-lit lab as I quickly got up again.

"What the hell guys?"

"Al? Oh, thank god. I thought I'd be like this forever," a voice called. I turned around to face it.

"Bill? What the fuck?" I had forgotten Bill accidentally transferred consciousness into a Pokémon. So instead of a twenty-two-year-old human talking to me was Bills Eevvee, Dawn.

"Oh, I'm so glad it was you. I have no worries about successfully transferring back. Hurry get behind that PC. The program should be set up, just run the Trade Program Genesis. Hurry, I don't have too long." The Bill-Eevee chirped.

Now that I had caught up to the situation, I got moving. Bill hopped into a tube that connected to a large machine. I would have no idea what the machine did if I didn't have my prior knowledge. I ran the program as the device began to whirl and flash as energy coalesced within the tubes. I covered my eyes as the light got too bright. When I looked up, I saw Bill holding Dawn in his arms spinning.

"I'm so sorry Dawn, I didn't mean for you to get caught in the experiment," exclaimed Bill. Dawn just licked his face while the rest of the Pokémon crowded around their owner.

"Bill, what the hell was that?"

Bill faced me with a smile breaking out. "Al, how are you?" before I could stop him, he picked me up in a bearhug. I struggled to breathe as I swung my legs.

"Bill…let…go," I gasped out. Bill is thought by society as being standoffish by the world, but he was incredibly compassionate with those he cared about. I had the bad luck of being one of those few people.

"I repeat. Bill, what the hell?" I yelled exasperatedly.

"Oh sorry, Al. I was just so happy to see you. You saved me there."

"What is that?" I gestured to his machine.

"Ah yes. That is my Induced Trade Device. I designed it to force the evolutionary process on lines that require a trade."

I shot my eyebrow up at this. Trade evolutions were unique to several lines. In the wild, certain electromagnetic elements activated the evolutionary process among Pokémon. Now it wasn't instantaneous, and it usually took several years of exposure to take effect finally. In the past twenty years, however, machines designed for trading had been built. Quite accidentally it was found these machines forced the evolution. Soon these machines were implemented in several Pokémon Centers across the world. However, the exact science behind the process was a mystery. Hence why Bill deemed it a worthy enough puzzle.

I sighed out knowing that I wasn't going to get much more information from Bill. He was notoriously tight-lipped on his projects until finished. I sat down in preparation for the ensuing lecture.

"I take it that it didn't work," I teased out.

Bill cocked his head in thought. "Well yes and no. I proved that the ITD does in fact mirror the trade process, but the data I was trying to isolate was not what I found. The fact I switched consciousness with Dawn was astounding but ultimately dangerous."

My confusion continued as I continued my line of questioning. "Dangerous how?"

"Well, Dawn accidentally started the ITD yesterday morning. So, I spent over 24 hours as an Eevee. As time went on, I noticed that Dawn's biology was suppressing my consciousness. I was starting to slip into a more primal state as I essentially became an Eevee."

I was now on the edge of my seat. This area of Pokémon biology was relatively untouched. The study of how Pokémon think. Psychics and Psychic-types, at least some species, could achieve telepathy. However, no study could accurately record how a Pokémon thought, as these telepaths stated that the action of telepathy translated the thoughts in a way that both parties could understand. Therefore, there was no direct translation of Pokémon consciousness. Too many things were lost in the thought translation.

"Well do you remember anything? How did you view the world of an Eevee? Do you retain any of Dawn's memories," I rambled of while I fell into researcher mode. Despite permanently retiring from my research position, the pursuit of knowledge still drove me forward in everything.

Bill took on a retiring disposition. "Sorry, Al. I only get vague images now. I believe that a Pokémon's thoughts are too alien for human minds to comprehend. I was also more focused on reverting to human."

"Damn. Well, how are you know, Bill?"

"Honestly, a little rattled. But what about you? You look terrible, and that's saying something. I've never seen you show any emotion other than sarcasm, but you look downright gray. What happened?"

I froze as I Bill finally took in my appearance. I may have slept since yesterday, but my eyes carried all the stress I had felt. That one day had made me feel like all my years of life had caught up to me.

"I feel like everything is hitting me at once. I always thought I could take on anything, but now…I'm worried I bit off more than I can chew. Like I'm pushing my limits. I guess I feel like I don't know if I can do this."

I avoided going into detail especially regarding Team Rocket. I honestly didn't want his input. I just needed to vent, but Bill still attentively listened. As I finished, he moved over to a pile of books and rummaged through them. He came back and placed a paperback journal in front of me.

"What's this," I said as I flipped through the pages. I stopped as I came upon an article. It had my name on it.

"That is your first article. You even published it under your real name. You wrote on the impact of interregional migration throughout the world." Bill let out a laugh. "You were proud of your research."

I hadn't been published before in my first life, so it was a novel experience for me when I released my findings years ago.

"Now if you remember, you got demolished in its reviews. What did you do?" Bill wore a knowing smile across his face.

I scoffed out, "I republished it with different wording under my pseudonym, and everyone loved it when they didn't know a six-year-old wrote."

"Now why didn't you quit instead?" Bill already knew the answer.

"I knew I was right. I knew I wasn't being regarded as credible merely for my age. So, I found a way to do things even if no one knew it was me. The only thing that mattered was I accomplished my goal."

I looked up at Bill as he wore a stupid grin now. "See? The Albert Brown I know never gives up. He doesn't let things like normalcy and complacency hold him back. You are the most driven person I've met."

"Bill look I get where you are coming from, but when I did that article, it only involved me. Now…as a Trainer, they affect a whole lot more people."

Bill frowned at my argument. "Al, when was the last time I published an article?"

I leaned back as I thought on his question. How long had it been? I knew about all his projects because he couldn't help but gush to his only friend. However, I hadn't seen an article authored by him since before I had met him. I looked back at him with the realization etched on my face.

"Yea, it's funny, isn't it. The same thing happened to me. I invented the PC, and everyone loved it, but as soon as I started challenging the status quo with my research, I was disregarded. So, I gave up. I stopped testing. I stopped pushing boundaries, until one day I met a kid younger than me who fought through it. He hadn't beat the establishment. He simply did things his way."

This was the most emotional I had ever heard Bill. Usually, we acted more like coworkers discussing projects than actual friends. I was at a loss for words.

"I still haven't authored anything in years, but now I don't let the thought of others hold me back. Some say I'm hiding away here on the Cape, but I'm just ignoring them. I decided that was the way I was going to live my life. I would have been hiding if I hadn't met you."

I let his words sink in. I had no idea that had impacted Bill this much. He never expressed this before — neither in this life or my first.

"Al don't just think about what bad things you can do but think about all the good you can do. I believe in you. I know your parents are too. Hell, Oak wouldn't have let you out of the Lab if he didn't think you capable and mature enough to be a Trainer. You get it?"

I sat there in silence for a few minutes as I processed everything he said. I had struggled to avoid making connections in this world, but the last person I expected to be attached to me was right in front of me telling me he was better for knowing me.

Then it hit me. If I had this much impact on a world I tried to avoid, what about my original world? My friends? My family? I owed it to them to return to them.

I was done letting fear of the unknown stress me out. I knew more than anyone, and what I didn't have prior knowledge I could beat. I had to realize that the path I set would be dangerous to not just me but to everyone around me. I just had to be good enough to protect them.

Finally, I stared back at Bill. The unease I had felt for the past twenty-four hours was replaced with resolve. This change of emotion must have changed as Bill bared his teeth in a grin.

"Feel better," Bill asked as he began to pet Blacky.

"Yea, thanks, Bill. I needed that. Sorry for being so weird. I guess I'm only a practically perfect person instead of completely perfect."

Bill rolled his eyes. "Glad to help such a higher being. Just do one favor okay?"

"Sure. What you got?"

"Remember you have friends huh? I didn't know you were on your journey until Flora called me a few days ago."

"You're still dating Hallsey? How does that relationship even work?" I laughed out.

Bill pouted. Somehow a year ago Bill and Hallsey hit it off at a Lab Yule party, the only event Bill attended nowadays. Since then they have been dating happily. It was a source of great enjoyment for me to poke fun at it.

"Well unlike someone she calls me regularly. You need a Poketech. I got to be there for when you break down again," he teased back.

"Pfft, I have one now. Gym winnings are pretty good for padding my pockets. You can tell your girlfriend that you got a celebrities number."

"Pretty sure I'm more famous than you," Bill grumbled out as he added his number. "Promise to call me occasionally, ok? I know you never break a promise, so I will be expecting one next time you win a Gym battle."

I flinched as I realized I had made a similar promise a few days ago. I had forgotten it until Bill reminded me. "Yea I promise Bill. Now tell me about a project that you've finished. It has been too long since I heard you ramble."

Despite knowing I was messing with him, Bill began to regale me with his experiments as I fell back to listen to his speech. I felt Dawn jump into my lap as I started to stroke her fur. Bill just went off on a tangent as I finally let my worries wash away.

xxx

I closed Bills door behind as I heard him already returning to his work. I had stayed for a few hours while we caught up and I told him of my adventures with some glaring omissions.

I walked back to Cerulean as the sunset. Bill had genuinely helped me. I was merely wanted to vent my problems, but he gave me a genuine solution. I just had to be me. Whatever challenges I faced I could beat them as they came. Maybe though, Bill was right. Maybe my leaving this world wouldn't solely hurt those I leave behind. Perhaps I could have some good behind.

Pulling out my Poketech I looked at my contacts. I had three names. Bill and Archer, whose numbers I got today, and one I got before them. I selected it as I readied myself for the conversation.

"Hey, Lara."


	9. Chapter 9

Vermillion City

Salty air mixed with the smell of the ocean as I looked out across Cerulean Cape. The sound of waves was only interrupted by sounds of effort going off behind me. My team was warming up for another training session this morning. We had camped out on Route 25 for almost a week now. I had used that time to outline my future.

My team would not be strong enough to fight Lance in a year, maybe not even in five. That didn't mean we couldn't beat him. We would have to outthink him and all other obstacles in my way. While still fresh the plans I formed made me feel infinitely better than I had previously, though my interactions with my…friends may have been another variable/

Bill helped me to stop doubting myself. How such a recluse had the emotional maturity to guide me like that both amused and surprised me.

I had let my desire to return home overrun practicality. I had rushed both Brock and Misty. The likely reason I had won was due to type advantage and the League rules from keeping the Gym Leaders from going all out. Brock's original Onix and Misty's Gyarados were both forces of nature when on the battlefield. I wouldn't be able to power through the rest of the Gym circuit.

Joining Team Rocket, while rash, was not a mistake. Within this reality, Team Rocket was winning, winning in the sense that no leadership had ever been captured or killed. Lance was close to pushing for allowance by the League to start killing Rockets throughout the regions. Despite their best efforts, the respective regions were just as bad as Kanto in limiting the Rockets efforts across the world.

While the criminal organization did not infiltrate specific isolationist regions such as Almia, this was more due to lack of desired resources in these regions than the Rockets being kept out. Team Rocket wanted three things: money, Pokémon, and power. Often these three desires coalesced into one mission objective or another.

The TM machine I sole was a perfect example. While being very expensive, the real goal was delegitimizing Chief Tejada as capable of protecting Cerulean. If he couldn't have proper security around his home, then how could he be believed to protect the city?

Team Rocket was smart, enigmatic and currently unstoppable. That's why I didn't regret my decision to join Team Rocket as a double agent. My unique persona within this world gave me the perfect opportunity to wipe out Team Rocket from the inside.

I had come to terms with all the events of my journey after staying out on the Cape this week. The salt air reminded me of the port at Pallet as well as the fishing trips to the coast I had gone with my father on. My real father by the way. This reality's sperm donor was not a father to me. Caroline at least was a decent substitute.

A grunt sounded out interrupting my thoughts as I turned to face my team. A light sheen of sweat glistened over them as they caught their breath. They had just finished their warmup laps. Everyone had a customized basic training program.

Shimmer was fast but lacked stamina along with discipline. I wasn't as concerned by the last bit as that was a personality that I found cute. She followed my directions during battle, so I saw no need to change her. Now If I could get her to stop her habit of eating my hair.

Crum was designed into a scalpel with the force of a sledgehammer behind it. His progress was astounding. He proved the capabilities of Fighting-types with this growth. This led to the problem of my running out of ways to teach him. Fighting-types need a Master to train them, be they human or Pokémon.

Pan was a dutiful little soldier. She had taken to the TM Dig like a fish to water, well more like a mole to dirt. I had her perfecting her use throughout the week. I would be running strategies later.

As for Blink, I had him continue his perfecting of Charge Mode. He still struggled with tight turns or using any techniques not based on electricity. I planned to turn Charge Mode into a state of being not a move.

"Outstanding, guys. I'm going to split ya'll into sets of two. You will fight each other till I say otherwise. Understood?" I called out. Various calls answered me.

"Crum against Blink while Shimmer versus Pan. Go ahead and get in position."

The Cape was short grasses and rock. A very open space that allowed me to keep track of my Pokémon. This was quite a job I had to accomplish. Crum preferred training alone, and Blink frequently went off to hunt. I was unable to get a grasp on Shimmers thought process. Pan was a godsend. She simply would burrow beside me in the dirt.

"Crum focus on not getting hit. Disrupt the field. Blink, I want you to push to go faster. If you get tripped find a way to keep moving. Shimmer keep an aura of Flame Wheel up as you blitz Pan. Pan minimize the time you are in the open. Use Dig to get in and out quickly."

The crumble of earth and the flash of fire were joined by the shine of lightning and roar of upturned rock. While Shimmer had a disadvantage against Pan, I decided it was better to use Crum and Blinks competitive natures to sharpen each other. Besides my girls rarely were able to match the males in sheer desire to win. They were merely laid back, and I loved them for it. A team of highly competitive Pokémon was more of a nightmare than you might think.

This past week had been not so much as going back to basics as it was to form basics. I had never taken the time to work my team besides the off and on lesson honestly. I did not particularly appreciate sitting around, but if I was to accomplish the goals, I had to prepare.

I had not received any calls from Archer. I knew he had a mission in the works, so I decided to wait. If I didn't hear anything within another week, I would head towards Vermillion City.

Lara, in contrast, had called me practically every day. I was both glad and annoyed with myself for calling her.

She had provided a type of emotional catharsis that Bill couldn't. She offered no judgments and was often to tease me instead of trying to make me feel better. She knew when to say something and when not to.

This was extremely evident when I told her of my Rocket encounter in Mt. Moon. I omitted my story of the Cerulean Rockets, but I needed to get some things off my chest. I had seen a man die. I was even partially responsible.

Lara responded, _"You did what you had to. You can't judge anyone else's actions, only your own. I believe you were in the right, but only you can decide that for yourself."_

She followed it up with a jibe at my meeting Misty and pissing her off. It seems that even for every nugget of wisdom there is a useless clod of dirt to follow.

A smile ghosted my face as I recalled our conversations. She had called so much because she could tell I was in trouble. By now she had lessened the length and frequency of the calls as she became aware of my bettering mood.

Now I focused on my girls. Shimmer was amid combing Flame Wheel with Quick Attack. This was a natural progression of the moves. Eventually, the two moves would combine into Flame Charge though I felt she was away from completing this.

Pan was currently learning how to use Dig, or at least learning how I wanted Dig to be used. Sandshrew had a natural digging ability, but the move Dig was much more. The move tapped into the Pokémon's instinct to find weak points in the soil to better maneuver underneath the earth. This was why Dig was able to be learned by non-Ground types. It wasn't so much a technique for digging as much one to drill more efficiently.

I had been coaching Pan to use Dig to make interconnected tunnels underneath her opponents. My design was to allow her the ability to both move faster to previous holes in the ground as well as bring the floor out from under her opponent. This had yet to be used in practice due to the fact I'd rather not hurt my other Pokémon's unduly.

Both Shimmer and Pan's matches had become characterized by a game of cat and mouse in which it was a matter of who hit the other fastest. In contrast, Crum and Blink was more a clash of an immovable object against a perpetually moving force.

Crum rarely moved in combat against Blink. He redirected and countered every one of the Shinx's strikes. While Crum was more than capable of smashing Blink into the ground, but that wasn't what I wanted him to learn. He gained physical strength plenty from his training. He was mad to be smarter than brute force, but lord would he have plenty of it.

Blink usually had the rougher go of it. He was reckless and usually prioritized major hit over actually hitting his opponent. This led to his losing to Crum most of the time. I was not bothered by this. Blink didn't let these defeats hold him back. I was more concerned that Blink learns to perfect his Charge Mode than break bad habits. He followed my orders in battle, so all else was secondary.

The Shinx had simple tactics. Run hard and hit hard. It did not work against Crum, but Blink often overpowered the various wild Pokémon in the area. I had noticed a similarity in Crum and Blink.

Both were growing and growing in the way that indicated evolution. Evolution was one of my favorite areas to study. Like natural animals, Pokémon grew with age. The obvious exception was the evolutionary process that was achieved by Pokémon. Various parameters had to meet across species, but the clues to its coming were the same. The growth of musculature and pigmentation change were common signs shared across most Pokémon species.

Blink was developing the start of a mane along with the lengthening of limbs. Crum, who had previously been shorter than me, was now a head taller than me. He had also filled out more, as well as his ridges, began to grey out.

I would need to grab a Limiter Belt for him in Cerulean. It was a common practice that Machoke's were outfitted with Limiter Belts to keep the Superpower Pokémon from breaking its surroundings. Machoke usually found the belts stylish, so there was not a struggle to equip them onto the Pokémon.

The matches were winding down as I heard my Pokegear chime. "Hello?" I answered.

"Hello, Al. How are you?" Archer responded with a silken voice.

I replied with evident exasperation, "What do you want Archer?"

"Now Al you must show greater respect to your superiors. At the least when in the presence of others. Hmm?" His veiled order offset Archer's flippant tone. He would allow me to be my usual self if I knew who the boss was.

"Yea I got ya. Now, what do you want?"

"I'm working on getting you a mission to cut your teeth on truly. Until then I was hoping you could speak with our mutual friend at Miracle Cycle. He has a package I need to be delivered to Vermillion City. He will brief you more. Now tell me, Al, how are you?"

I was tripped up by the last thing he said. Why did he care about how I felt? "I'm…uh… good. I have been training my team. Why do you ask?"

"Like I said, Al. I have a vested interest in you. Your success is my success. Your diligence in your training is commendable. I haven't truly worked my team in a while. Either way continue gaining more badges. This job will allow a measure of what missions I can be approved to give you. Now do hurry to Miracle Cycle. I will call again upon completion of your mission."

The Pokegear turned off as Archer hung up. I sighed out as I felt my anxiety rush inward. I smashed it down as I began to take down my camp. I peered over to my Pokémon to see they had finished battling.

Crum had the sparks that were a sign of paralysis. Blink was on his side heaving with labored breath. Crum had won again, likely thanks to Guts activating for Crum.

Shimmer was licking a bruise she received on her ribs while Pan nursed some scorch marks on her hind legs. Harder to tell who won there not that it mattered. Those two did better against opponents that weren't friends. That was likely why they like beating up on Blink so much.

"Crum, you good?" I called out in question to his light paralysis. He shook his head and stuttered forward to help me clean up. The paralysis would eventually pass. Paralyze Heal was needed for more severe cases, and Blink couldn't build up enough electricity to cause long-term harm.

The others loitered around as Crum, and I took down my tent. "We were given a mission." Crum stiffened at my comment and stared back at me.

"Sounds like its just a courier job. Shouldn't be anything truly illegal." Crum snorted at that. "Okay, besides the part of working for Team Rocket. We are doing good. Got to work our way up to the Boss, right?"

Crum frown said otherwise.

xxx

As I walked into Miracle Cycle, I thought about the newest problem in my team. Crum was going along with my plans, but I had lost his trust. The entire week we spent out on Route 25 Crum had been cold to me. He followed my orders, but not with the snap he had before. In his eyes, we were not the friends we were before, just Trainer and Pokémon.

While this could be positive on the account, I needed to leave this world, and I still needed Crum to trust me enough to get through Team Rocket. As a Fighting-type Crum had an advantage over Giovanni's Ground-types. With the path I was on, I needed him to be with me. Only I didn't know how to go about regaining that trust.

"Kid quit daydreaming. I had to close the shop while I waited for you. Running this shop pays for my dinner." I shook myself as the Bike Rocket yelled at me.

"Sorry, what am I delivering?"

"Don't know don't care. I don't even know who exactly you're delivering to. You will get that when you enter Vermillion. You get the identity of whom you're delivering to there. A Grunt will be waiting at the city limits to escort you to the Vermillion safehouse. Got it?" he listed off in a gruff voice.

"Seems like a lot for a package. Is it important?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I repeat I don't know don't care. This is the way we do things. There is a reason our higher-level members are never caught. We don't rock the boat too much."

"Yet we are still enemy number one across the planet?" I questioned incredulously.

"How often do you hear of a Team Rocket arrest? Not often right. It's always a big deal when one of us does happen to be caught. Hell, they are still talking about Mt. Moon. They wouldn't even know we were there if those Grunts hadn't screwed up. We will rescue them eventually, but they will learn in their cells that Team Rocket does not condone failure."

The passion for how he spoke surprised me. I may have to correct my assumption on Team Rocket. They were more a cult than a criminal empire.

"Fine. Give me the package." He handed me a manila folder that I slid into my backpack. "Anything else?"

"Nah, kid. Do Mr. Apollo proud. He's already put a lot of effort to back you. Don't fuck up," the man warned as he went down the stairs into the basement.

I rolled my eyes and left the shop. I barely was a foot out the door when my Pokegear went off. It was an unknown number, but it looked familiar.

"Uh…hello?"

"Albert Dougal Brown! Why have I had to get your phone number from Flora Hallsey? I've had no idea if you were hurt. No idea how well you've been. Explain yourself," Caroline screeched across the line.

I physically flinched from her yell. Crap, I had forgotten to call her. The one person I needed to keep happy to keep independent was pissed off. If she got my number from Hallsey, then she must have received it from Bill. The damn traitor.

"Hi, Mom. I…didn't mean to obviously. I just got wrapped up in things. I'm fine. How about you? Chickens been good?" I stammered out.

"Oh no. you aren't getting away with this. I didn't let you loose in the world to ignore me. Dammit, Al. you can't scare me like that." A wave of guilt rushed over me. I liked Caroline. I hated that I was eventually going to put her through the worst thing a mother could go through, but my real mother had already gone through this, and I wouldn't let her feel that pain anymore. Even if I had to inflict on someone, I cared about to do it.

Until then I owed it Caroline to at least try to be a good son. "I'm sorry, Mom, I really am. I should have called. I'm perfectly healthy. Crum is doing great if a little moody. Blink is the same, but I think that's just how he is. I caught a Ponyta I named Shimmer and a Sandshrew named Pan. The Ponyta is…unique while Pan is an absolute sweetie. Crum wiped out Brock. I struggled a bit against Misty," I rambled on until Caroline cut me off.

"Al stop. It's okay. Well, it's not okay. I understand though. A journey is special, and I always knew you would take to it. You were always meant for things beyond what anyone can comprehend. Just promise you will occasionally call. It gets lonely in this house without you. Promise?"

I sucked in a breath. As I released it, I vowed to Caroline, "I promise Mom. I won't leave you high and dry anymore."

"Thanks, honey. Now I know you have things to do. Next time I expect lots of details. I love you, Al."

"Bye Mom." I hung up and began to head towards Vermillion City.

xxx

It might have been the week of training I had put my team through, but the Trainers along Routes 5 and 6 were weak. Blink and Shimmer usually could outspeed most opponents. Pan rarely got hit as she was either a ball of pain in Rollout or a subterranean terror with Dig. Crum had become increasingly agitated. He still hadn't let up about Team Rockets.

In front of us currently was a Mankey. It was strong, but not at the level of the Primeape we had previously fought. It should have been an easy fight, but it had proven otherwise.

Crum was covered in bruises though the Mankey was just as hurt. This Mankey wasn't strong. Crum wasn't following my orders.

"Crum quit trying to smash him into the ground. He's too fast for you. Precise counters, dammit," I yelled at him. He only glared back and continued his beatdown. I sighed out in defeat as he continued to ignore me.

He cared enough to not show his anger with me in front of the team, but with anyone else, he didn't hold back his disgust with me. I had no idea what to do. I was angry that he wasn't following my orders, but I couldn't punish him. I needed him too much, and that would increase his mistrust in me if that were even possible.

The Mankey exhausted from the battle finally collapsed. Crum kicked it and limped back towards me. He glared at me not with hate, but betrayal. Somehow that hurt worse.

"Return, Crum," I huffed as I sent Crum back to his Pokeball. I doubt either of us could stand to do deal with each other right now. I had him walk with me most of the day in hopes of him remembering our friendship, but he just got worse as the day went on.

We avoided crossing into Saffron City. It wasn't due to the city being closed as in the games, but because I was avoiding Sabrina. Psychic Pokémon could read minds usually, but I had been lucky enough to avoid, most of this life. I had only interacted with Sam's Alakazam. He had not delved deeply into my memories, but he knew I was unnatural. I wasn't quite sure what he knew, but he always stared me down when we were in the same room.

Sabrina was supposedly the worlds most accomplished human Psychic. Not to my surprise, there was little empirical evidence on this. I still had decided to avoid contact with any Psychics as much as possible. I had information on this world that was too dangerous to be known by anyone other than me. I needed a Dark or Ghost type to give me an aura of protection from psychic interference. Both types were notoriously troublesome to train. One was a tad bit aggressive while Ghost-type was a complete enigma to most people. Due to the lack of biological components within most Ghost species, I myself had limited knowledge of them. I only had rumors and the fact that Ghost-types were attracted to strong emotions.

So, I decided to save Sabrina for last in my Gym circuit when it would be easier to manage one of those Pokémon at least for the day it would take to beat Sabrina.

The gates of Vermillion now towered in front of me. While a highway system connected the major cities of Kanto, the Trainer routes were the ancient roads of Kanto before the League. The original entrances to cities were, therefore, on these roads and far grander than the more commonly entered entries of today.

A market lined the streets as I entered the city. Merchants yelled out their sales as Trainers browsed the various inventories. Trainer Markets were a common sight in most towns and were located at the gates. Pewter was too small for one and Cerulean had banned them to keep its public image intact.

I had no idea where to go. The Rocket in Cerulean I would be found by another Rocket, but how would they even identify them? I doubt they would have a big R on their chest in the middle of the street.

"Sir excuse me, young man. Can I ask you a question?" an active voice thrilled beside me. I turned to see the most gaudily accessorized woman. Her face was caked in makeup. She wore a simple blouse and skirt but had dozens of buttons and patches of Pokémon scattered across her front. She was more button than cloth.

"Uh, sure. However, I must be somewhere, so can it be quick."

She smiled a megawatt smile, "Of course, of course. Tell me do you have two Badges and a Machop?"

"Uh, yea. How did you know that?" I inquired. This situation was strange.

The lady's eyes took on a dark flash. "Please come with me. I think you will be a great member of the Pokémon Fan Club."

"I'm pretty sure I just said one question, not a field trip. I better go," I said as I began to walk away. Suddenly, I felt my arm trapped in a viselike grip. I turned with a surprise back to the woman.

"No, I insist."

xxx

Once again, my young body screwed me over. I struggled as much as I could, but I couldn't escape the button lady's hold. I didn't have the muscles to get free. We attracted stares, but everyone just turned away.

"Help she's kidnapping me," I yelled out.

"Now quit yelling sweetie. I told you we would get ice cream later," she lied in a sickly-sweet manner. The crowds ate it up. I was just some brat to them now. It looks like the human condition was prevalent across dimensions. No one wanted to get involved with other problems even if they screamed.

I surrendered myself to being dragged to the Fan Club. Its display matched the woman in bright colors. She pulled me through the doors and announced herself in a tone that didn't match her previous one.

"I have the delivery boy," she called out. The Fan club was one large room of padded walls and chairs. Vibrant colors lanced across the furniture and the entire building spoke of comfort and openness. The atmosphere, however, said something far different.

When we entered its inhabitants, all had smiles and laughed out loud as we came through the door. As soon as the button lady called out, they all changed demeanors. No longer were they bright insufferable, but now stern and inscrutable. Before I noticed the door behind was locked, and the lights turned off.

Oh crap. The Pokémon Fan Club was a Team Rocket outpost. Now I felt stupid for not realizing I had been grabbed at the gates.

"Welcome Grunt. We've been expecting you," a high voice called out. A single light now shone at the back. Seated on the couch was, most likely, the Chairman of the Fan Club. Who I now knew was a Rocket.

"I'm not a Grunt. What should I call you?"

A dark chuckle escaped his lips. "Yes, I heard you were someone special. You may call me Chairman. I was tasked by Master Archer to facilitate a few things for him. First, we must complete your mission. You are to take your package to the S.S Anne, was docked in the harbor. The recipient will have red hair. No worries to be had on misconstruing the identity of my target. It's been arranged that they will be the only ones on the boat with that hair color. Upon doing this Master Archer desires, you receive your third badge from the Vermillion Gym. Once this is accomplished, you are to return here. Do you understand, boy?"

"Yea. Sounds like a lot of wasted time."

"Ah, youth. It is wasted on the rash. All the things that Team Rocket does are done with purpose. If you were anyone else, I would have you…reprimanded. You are lucky to have Master Archer's protection. Succeed at these objectives, and you shall receive something to prove your supposed importance. Master Archer has ordered something special for you."

I stood in the darkness. While I couldn't see the disguised Rockets scattered the darkened room, I felt the heat from stares. It seems as if they didn't take kindly the way I spoke to the Chairman. Not that I cared. I was above them.

"Grunt, give the…operative his ticket to get on the ship."

Out of the darkness a hand extended with a shining ticket. I took it and examined it. Gold filigree was inlaid to it. Fancy card.

"You may go. We expect you soon," the chairman said as the light went out. The lights came back on and revealed the Rockets had disappeared. My they were dramatic.

I shrugged and exited out the door. I didn't need to concern myself with their opinions. I had a job to accomplish.

xxx

I had never been on a cruise in my original life. Never even saw one in person. Now I had no idea how the S.S Anne compared to other cruise liners, but I could say this at least. The ship was damn big.

I didn't have the exact size, but it towered over the ship's guardian Gyaradoses. Most commercial vessels had Pokémon for protection with Gyarados being the high end. Several circled the cruise liner, and even the largest one didn't reach halfway up the deck. As for the length, it was so large it had to be anchored in Vermillion bay with shuttle boats continually going back and forth from the ship to the boardwalk.

I was currently on such a boat with Pan on my shoulder. Usually, I would have Crum out with me, but I wasn't dealing with that can of worms. I was worried that she would freak out from the proximity to the ocean, but curiosity was the primary emotion she exuded instead of fear. Pan was by far the most mature of my Pokémon. It was hard to judge Sandshrew age, so I had no idea about her exact age. Though her front claws seemed to be lengthier than her back, this told me she was around two years of age. In a few weeks of battling, she would likely be evolving.

She marveled at the waves that hit our boat, but never let go of my shoulder. So, while she was curious, she at least had enough self-preservation not to go far from me. Eventually, we connected with the ship. I was curious about how we were to get on the deck until I fell forward with a lurch. I caught myself and looked over the railing to see our rising out of the water.

The other passengers let out exclamations of "oohs" and "aahs" as we ascended. I leaned out to look up. The answer to our sudden defying gravity was a team of Magnezone that had connected to our boat roof. We rose steadily in the air until we were floating parallel to the main deck. A gangway was laid out, and we walked onto the ship. Once all the passengers had exited from the shuttle boat, the Magnezone gradually descended to return it to the water to receive more passengers.

Everyone else had already walked off to enjoy the pleasures of the ship while I continued to stare at the declining vessel. This world confused me. It found unique ways to accomplish things with Pokémon. However, they had the annoying trait of turning the simple into complex and vice versa.

That had been the hardest thing for me to get used to in this world. I eventually got desensitized to it, but occasionally these uses of Pokémon and technology threw me for a loop.

I started to walk along the main deck scanning for red hair. As far as I could tell the Chairman had told the truth, there weren't any passengers with red hair. While this should have made the job more comfortable, I had two issues.

First was this ship is massive. The second was I'm colorblind.

Now being colorblind is probably better defined as color dyslexia. Certain colors look the same to me unless I have them side by side. I was just lucky enough that in the world of Pokémon orange was legitimate hair color.

I had asked several people if the hair was red only because I couldn't accurately see it as not being red. I continued searching for around an hour until it had hit that early evening. Soon the sky decided to light up in the mocking colors of red and orange.

Deciding I was better off inside I began to stroll the halls. Occasionally a passenger would pass, but I was in the residential area. Most people were out enjoying the ship's amenities. I was about to call it a night when I saw a flash of red. At least a dark enough red I couldn't possibly mix it up.

The redhead turned a corner as I ran after it. Pan let out a cry at my sudden acceleration but hung on. As I wheeled around said corner, I crashed into the redhead.

He was a child, younger than even I was.

"Ow, watch where you are going," he griped from the ground.

"Uh, sorry kid. Thought you were someone else," I apologized as I helped the kid up. As he rose up, he noticed Pan who was hanging on my shoulder.

"Oh, wow you have a Sandshrew. My father has a lot of those. Are you a Trainer?" he gasped out with a sparkle in his eyes.

"Um, yea. Look I have something I need to do. Sorry for running into you." I began to walk away, but the kid followed beside me.

"Are you good? My father is the best in the world. He has many people who aren't that good that work for him. He says the weak are meant to hold up the strong. I don't know what he means. I asked him to let me become a Trainer, but he said I wasn't ready. I want to be strong like him though. You never said if you were any good?" the kid rambled off.

I was blown back by his chattering. I rarely dealt with children as a made sure to receive the primary schooling of this world as quick as possible. I had thought about obtaining a degree from Celadon University, but I wouldn't be using it in the real world, so I thought it wasn't worth it.

Funnily enough, this child had a Celadon University logo emblazoned on his shirt. The school had a program designed to enrich younger minds in a boarding school, i.e. if you have the money, we will raise your kid. Despite mostly being a glorified daycare, the boarding school was regarded for its acclaimed alumni. Giovanni and Erika of Celadon were such graduates.

"Yea, I'm pretty good. I'm here to battle Lt. Surge for my third badge. Shouldn't you be with your father?" I answered in hopes to shake off the little firecracker. I was heading towards the media center in hopes that maybe he would be the redhead I was looking for initially.

The kid, however, wasn't letting up. "Wow! So, you have two badges. My father isn't here. I'm here with my Aunt Ari. She is watching me over the summer break for school. I don't get to see Father much." The kid finally changed from his exuberant nature to a more crestfallen one.

I frowned at this change. While I didn't have the developmental issues of having an absent father, I could identify thanks to this life. The kid finally was quiet as he began to become more introspective.

Ah, crap.

Despite being a kid myself, at least in body, I had a soft spot for children. Children hadn't yet been broken down and corrupted by the world like adults. Yeah, they could be cruel to each other and act like brats, but ultimately, I found they had pureness that was dirtied as they got older. As such, I tried to help kids be kids for as long as possible. I knew what it was like to have to grow up too fast.

"So…do you have any Pokémon?" I said as I tried to distract the kid.

He only frowned more. "No, Father says I'm not ready. He has plenty of Pokémon; he doesn't even train anymore. Powerful Pokémon that know strong moves."

I laughed out a small chuckle. "Oh really."

"Yeah. I bet your Sandshrew doesn't even know Earthquake." That sent me for a mental stumble. I wasn't ready for that sudden attack.

"Uh, no. Pan isn't ready for that kind of move. She is perfectly capable as is," I defended.

"My father says Surge doesn't follow League protocol all the time. He says Surge likes to test Trainers his way." The kid wasn't wrong. Lt. Surge had a reputation of being brutal to challengers. Maybe Pan wouldn't be enough for this Gym challenge.

I heard a commotion in the large hall to our right. As we walked in, I saw we had entered the media center and that there was a large screen with a battle shown on it. It was Kukuis Elite Four challenge. He managed even to make it to Lance. Most League winners were wiped out by Lorelei.

The kid brightened up as he stared up at the screen. He became enraptured as Kukuis Lycanroc battled against Lances Charizard. The Lycanroc had the Charizard on the ropes, but the display showed that Kukui was down to his last while Lance still had four. Lance would retain the title of Champion it seemed.

"Father says Lance is bad for the League," the redhead spouted off. This fact surprised me. Most people thought Lance was gods gift to the world. To think otherwise was borderline treason if such a thing could exist in a world of confederacies.

"That's not a popular opinion," I noted as Lance's Charizard collapsed upon being hit with a Stone Edge.

The kid eyes were latched onto the screen but continued to speak. "Father says that truly powerful don't let what is considered normal or safe to hold them back. He says Lance doesn't use tactics or strategy. He said Lance was lucky to born to a family that gave him a Dratini for a starter. Now Lance shows that all a Trainer needs is to be powerful and crush opponents. Father says this has made the League weak."

This kid had an interesting parent. He wasn't wrong. Lance's strategy for life was to blast until nothing remained. This was the reason why he hadn't made much of a dent into the Rocket problem. He, and therefore the League, were routinely outmaneuvered. Lance was not stupid, but he suffered from arrogance and limited vision.

"There is more to overpowering an opponent. That much is true. Once age starts to hit Lance's team, they will start to not be as potent. He has the benefit of having a mostly Dragon team that will outlive him, but eventually, people will form strategies to wipe him out. There will always be someone stronger, but he is at least sincere. He truly wants what is best for Kanto and Johto which is a rare trait among adults."

"I guess," the kid mumbled. He looked troubled. I had given him another viewpoint on life, and if I were to guess right, he had only ever heard the thoughts of his father. I let out an internal sigh. It was good to learn to question authority figures eventually, but it was a lesson that could be hard to learn. I wish I hadn't taught it the kid.

"Hey, I'm not saying your dad is wrong. Just that there are two sides to every story, understand, uh, I never got your name kid?"

"I'm not a kid, and my name is Silver," Silver whined at me.

Kukuis Lycanroc was knocked out, and the room erupted in cheers for Lance's victory. I heard none of it as the realization hit me. Red hair, a dissident father, and the revelation of his name came together to paint a picture. One that said I was currently speaking to Silver Sakaki, son of Giovanni.

"Silver, there you are. I told you not to wander off," a feminine voice called out. I turned as another weight hit me as I recognized the woman walking towards us. She was Ariana, the Rocket Executive, and my possible contact. I was not expecting today to be like this.

"I'm sorry Aunt Ari. I was just curious. Aunt Ari, this guy has two badges. He is…," Silver trailed off as he realized I never gave my name either.

"Al. My name is Al Brown," I said as I eyed Ariana. Recognition flashed across her face as a thin smile appeared.

"Well, Silver. You appear to have found the person who brought our tickets. He is one of your fathers' newest employees. He is Archer's new pet project." Ariana hummed out.

Understanding dawned over Silver. "You work for Team…." Silver whispered before he was cut off by Ariana.

"Remember Silver. Your Fathers views aren't shared by many. Hopefully, you can see their accuracy if someone like Albert Brown agrees with our goals," Ariana mused.

Conflict clouded Silver's eyes as he came to terms with my identity. It was a little amusing considering I had gone through the same thing not a few seconds ago. I reached into my backpack and handed the folder to Ariana.

"Must be an important father for someone like you to watch," I remarked as Ariana handed a ticket to the still befuddled Silver. "Its also surprising that you were able to get on this ship without tickets. I'm curious on how you did that."

Ariana's smile didn't move as I questioned her. "Great things can happen when you are high in the organization. You appear to be on that path. I was unsure of Archer taking such an interest in an individual, but now that I've met you he might be on to something."

I did my best to hide any emotion that might have shown on my face, "I will keep that in mind. If you excuse me, I have a Badge to win."

"Of course. Silver say goodbye to Albert and thank him for making our travels easier by giving us our tickets."

Silver shifted nervously as he now refused to look at me. "Thank you, Albert," he mumbled.

Even though I wasn't much taller than Silver, I crouched low enough to make him look me in the eye. He looked me in the eye as I kept my gaze focused on him, "Call me Al. Remember what I said earlier, okay. Battle me when you get a Pokémon?"

Silver straightened up and glared back at me. "I will beat you then," he huffed out.

I smiled back as I accepted his challenge, "You will try. Pan lets go. We have some training to do.

xxx

It was early in the night when we made it back into the harbor. Pan and quickly left the city limits for Route 11. This route wasn't much of one as you could see Silence Bridge to the east from the city limits. The real attraction was the Diglett Tunnel.

This natural highway made the travel to Pewter far easier as Trainers could avoid Mt. Moon entirely. Thus why since people had realized what the Diglett and Dugtrio had done they had forgone the more dangerous mountain path for the tunnel. Rangers made extra sure that the local inhabitants were not disturbed to keep the shaft in use for travelers. Hence, in the tunnels, the mole Pokémon were protected.

The tunnel would have been a perfect place to train Pan if it wasn't under protection. So, we ended up under the starry sky in the grasses of Route 11. I didn't plan on going to sleep until I could come up with a strategy to beat Lt. Surges overpowering nature.

"Pan start making tunnels," I ordered as my Sandshrew as she obediently started using Dig to make an invisible crisscross underneath the dirt. Pan had been working on cutting down on time it took to make a tunnel system. The design I had come up was designed to be shapes. Pan would start with a circle underneath and gradually increase the points of entrance in the ground. She would start with a square within the ring followed by a star.

We had found this pattern was optimal for keeping the ground stable while allowing Pan to collapse the tunnels to take out her opponent quickly. This was a good strategy, but it was meant to be her final play. Once the ground was gone, she didn't have the mobility to hit her opponent.

As much as I loved her, Pan was not a heavy hitter. Even when I was able to teach her Earthquake eventually, she wouldn't have the raw power to do real damage with it. A Sandslash didn't have the same strength as say a Rhydon. Pans role was to hit quickly and not be hit.

Maybe there was a way I could replicate that power?

My brainstorming was interrupted as I felt a chill. I looked up to see yellow eyes peeking out the grass. I froze as an Ekans slithered menacingly towards me.

"Pan! Help! Rollout! Anything!" I yelled as I tried to pull out Blinks Pokeball. Before I could put a hand on it, the world shifted. I lost my footing as the ground shook. Then bursting out of the ground underneath the Ekans came a spiraling Pan.

The Ekans flew back into the grass as Pan landed. She began to turn her head back and forth looking for the threat. The snake came back and stared us down. It let out a low hiss as the serpent turned back into the tall grass where I could no longer see it.

Pan had calmed down, so the Ekans must have left. I sighed in relief as I pet my savior. "Good job Pan." She preened under my affection as she leaned into my hand.

I examined our surroundings as a smile split my face. I looked down to Pan and said, "Pan I think I just had an idea."

She stared back at me with confusion in here cute beady eyes.

xxx

I woke up with an aching back. I stretched as I rose from the tree I had slept against. As I looked around, I saw Pan curled up beside me. I must have passed out while she trained her new technique. Once she saw I was asleep, she must have turned in.

I checked my Pokegear for the time to see it was a bit past eight. I hoped I could get a match today. Either way, I wasn't too worried.

I set out some food for my team as I began to plan for my match. By the time I set out the feed Pan had woken up and waddled over.

"Hey, girl. Sorry for passing out on you." Pan gave a cheerful chirp as she began to eat her food. Once I returned to Vermillion, I would have to buy specially made feed for my team. I had made enough money over the past few weeks to afford feed designed with my Pokémon's growth in mind.

"Come out guys," I called as I released my team. Shimmer immediately trotted over to me.

"Hey, girl. You're loving this…stop that Shimmer," I said in greeting that quickly turned into an admonishment as the Ponyta began to chew my scalp. "Eat your food, not my hair."

Shimmer snorted as I pushed her away. Blink gave off a static cackle as he charred his feed in the way he liked. I glared at him, but it turned into a smile as I saw him enjoying the sun shining down on him. My team was happy and content except for Crum.

Crum had walked over to the tree I had slept against with his food. He ate silently away from the rest of the group. Shimmer and Pan didn't seem to notice, but Blink was glaring at my starter.

I had no idea if my team was falling apart or not — a terrible thing to happen so early into a journey. Half was oblivious to the world, and the other half were at each other's throats. Blink was catching on Crum's behavior. The team knew of my Rocket plan, but they didn't have the context Crum did. Crum had a right to be upset, but I needed him to be on my side.

It wasn't out of the realm of possibility for me to send him back to the Oak lab. It would hurt, but the rest of my team were doing great. I would have to lean far more on Blink as my main combatant, but the girls were almost as capable.

Only I didn't want to send Crum back. We had a history_a friendship. I thought that might have been enough for him to trust me, but it seemed that shared past had only made it hurt him that much worse. I didn't know what to do.

As my team ate their breakfast, I decided to debrief them on today's match. "All right guys. Today we have a Gym match." As I said this the entire team perked up even Crum.

"The Gym Leader is a man by the name of Lieutenant Fred Surge. He served in the Unova Pilot Corps. His role was both the disposal and use of explosives within aircraft against foreign enemies of Unova. Once he retired from the service, he took the League mastery exam in Unova. He achieved a Master title in Electric types. He was then invited by the Vermillion Gym to be its new leader. He has a reputation of blitzing opponents with Pokémon that aren't necessarily the same level of experience. He will draw blood if able. We need to be precise and disciplined. Understand?"

In response, I was given various grunts and cries in affirmation. I did notice that Crum gave the barest form of a nod. I sighed as I thought about how I never expected Crum to be my main problem.

"Now I know you won't like this, but Blink you will likely not be battling." I was quickly answered with an angry yowl. "I understand your upset, but you were the main battler in Cerulean. You have to give others a chance too." He relented a bit grumbled as he chewed at his food.

I stare him down a bit, but ultimately decided he wasn't hurting anything by being a brat. "Going off that, Pan will be our main fighter in this match." Pan started to hop in anticipation of being important. I smiled at her and focused as well as I could on Crum and Shimmer. "You two will be going in first. Whom that is predicated on what Pokémon Surge sends out first." Shimmer let out a whinny while Crum said nothing. Unless it was necessary, I would be using Shimmer and not Crum.

"Remember to follow my orders. I can see things you can't on the battlefield. We do this together." My team stared back at me with fire in their eyes excluding Crum. In his eyes, I only saw pain.

xxx

The Vermillion Gym was boring in comparison to Cerulean. This Gym had stylized waves and suns decked out the exterior. However, it was merely murals that had fades with age. Vermillion was not known for being involved in its Gym. The city focused on its shipping industry, not the Pokémon League. This reason was why Lt. Surge hadn't been removed from his position. The town had final say on its Gym Leader. Unless Surge broke some League or Vermillion law, he would not be removed. Therefore, Surge could skim League guidelines without much issue.

The interior of the Gym was even less ornate, bare walls with only a single desk with a man behind it. He sat ramrod straight as I walked towards the counter. He didn't say a word until I was in front of him.

"What can I do for you…kid," he spoke slowly to me as if I wasn't able to understand him.

"Yea I'm here to challenge Surge," I clipped out briefly.

The secretary pulled out a form and asked me a few questions. "Name, badges, and your Trainer ID."

"Albert Brown. Two badges. Also, here," I answered as I handed my ID to the man. However, he quickly gave it back.

"Oh, ho I know who you are. The lieutenant has been expecting you. Go through those doors. He will be right down. I hope you're ready." I quirked an eyebrow and head through the doors.

I came into a typical stadium. As I looked around, I surmised that Surge had gone for his militaristic origins over an Electric motif to decorate his Gym. It wasn't bare for the sake to be bare. It was about not wasting resources. Using what you got was a mantra I could get behind.

"Well, I was expecting something a bit more when both Brock and Misty warned me about you. I thought you must be special if they called ahead. Wasn't expecting some bratty kid," Lt. Surge chortled as he walked down the steps to the field.

"Suck my dick," I taunted back. I wasn't dealing with another Gym Leader doubting me.

"Oh, kids got balls. I like that. Too many little shit-stains come in here scared of big, bad Surge."

"If you've dealt with one dumbass adult, you dealt with em all," I continued to heckle back at the Leader.

An entertained smirk flashed from him as he teased, "Does mommy know you have a potty mouth?"

"Yea your mother knows. She likes it when I talk dirty."

Surge bellowed out a laugh. "I like you kid. Let's hope you give me a good fight. Since this is the third badge for you, this will be your final match of two against two, blah blah blah. You know the rules. After me, the other Gym Leaders can deal with you how they like."

"Sounds good. Let's hurry. I forgot to eat," I quipped with cross arms. Inside I was nervous. I had never thought I would love these Gym battles as much as I had. They were necessary steps to get home, but each one I went to I had an increasing level of anticipation. The regular trainers I fought in the wild rarely kept up with me now. Only the Gym Leaders have given me a challenge so far. Though, I barely won those matches in my opinion. Surge wouldn't let luck dictate the battle.

I relished the challenge.

"All right, brat. Let's start with something unique." Surge threw out his first Pokémon to reveal a Graveler. An Alolan Graveler.

Crap. Double crap. Shimmer would be useless here, and I needed to save Pan for last. I had to use Crum.

"Go, Crum," I sighed out as I released my reluctant partner. He came out with little fanfare, but as he saw his opponent, a confident sneer showed on his face.

Oh no. Machop had a natural enmity with Graveler. Wild Machop threw them in a test of strength, and I had no doubt Crum thought this one would be no different a challenge. Except this was a Master trained Graveler and Alolan to boot. This fight wouldn't be like Mt. Moon.

Surge let out a whistle. "That's a good looking Machop you have there. Looks like he's close to evolving too. This should be good."

I took the compliment in stride as I called out to Crum, "Remember my orders, Crum." Crum just ignored me and continued to eye the Graveler.

Surge raised an eyebrow but shrugged it away. "Okay brat. Let's go Graveler. Thundershock."

"Crum dodge and get it off its feet," I ordered to which Crum looked as if to follow as he dodged the bolt of electricity in a run at the Graveler. He followed up a Seismic Toss that upended the Graveler until it used its magnetism to stop itself from crashing.

Crum snorted in disgust as he charged with a Karate chop. Before he reached it Surge called out his order, "Bide-Punch."

"Crum stop it's a trap," I warned, but Crum did not care for what I said. He sent a flurry of hits that the Graveler tanked. With each hit a field of electricity built around the Graveler until it all collected in its fist. Next, a Bide powered Thunderpunch rocked Crum.

He was sent flying across the field as he landed hard in the dirt. He coughed in pain but got up and rushed the Graveler again.

The joy had left Surge's face as he scoffed, "Stealth Rock."

"Crum, stop. He's baiting you." Still, Crum ignored me as he entered a minefield of stone. Dust exploded as he set off the Stealth Rock, but he exploded out with a Low Kick that sent the Graveler tumbling away.

The Graveler showed noticeable damage from the blows that Crum had landed, but Crum looked mangled. Blood dripped down from where the Stealth Rock had sliced him.

"Looks like we were wrong about you kid. Even a mediocre Trainer can have their Pokémon listen to them. Graveler, Thunder Shield," Surge stated. The Graveler gathered an electric field around in its hands as it released it across its body. A cloak of electricity coated the Rock type that Crum now charged at again.

As Crum swung a fist, it rebounded back to his surprise. "Crum you can't hit him. Take out his footing," I implored at Crum. He just glared hatefully and continued to strike at the shield in front of Surge's Graveler. Each hit was answered with a shock to Crum while Graveler took no damage.

"Well, brat come back next with a Pokémon that listens. Thunderpunch," Surge ordered with finality. The Graveler reared back and struck Crum who once again came flying.

He landed in a heap. He was still conscious, but he struggled to rise. The tell-tale signs of paralysis racked his body. He couldn't even get up to his feet.

"It's over. Call your Machop back. He's not strong enough." Emotional shock showed on Crum's face as he took in Surges words. He closed his eyes as he began to let himself fall to the ground.

"Fulcrum!" I yelled at my starter as he suddenly stopped. For the first time in a week, Crum turned to me with an emotion that wasn't anger or disappointment.

"I gave you that name, remember," I yelled across the field. "I told you that you would be my support. The point which everything hinges on. I can't do any of this without. I won't have you give up."

Crum slumped in defeat still and started to fall again.

"I choose you!" I cried at him. He stopped again and stared at me with confusion in his eyes. "Out of all the Pokémon in the world. Hell, even out of all the Machop in the world, I chose you. I planned for you all this time. No others even came to mind. Al my plans. All my schemes. Everything I've done or will do was based around you being my partner." Crum's eyes widened as the meaning behind my words came to him.

"Whatever happens I know we can do it. If we are together, as partners, so please get up," I yelled in one final plea.

Crum stared back for what seemed like an eternity. Then he clenched his fist as he began to fight his paralysis to his feet. As he rose, his body started to glow in white light. I stared in wondered as the light attempted to blind me, but I could not look away.

Standing where Crum had been before was now a six-foot-tall monster of muscle. My Fulcrum had evolved into a Machoke.

Evolution had healed some of his injuries, but the paralysis remained. He still turned to face me. We looked into each other's eyes as he finally nodded. I schooled back my emotions as we got ready to finish this fight. My Pokedex dinged as it updated Crum's data. I peeked to see all the new information. I smiled.

"Crum, you ready?" I asked waiting for his answer. He roared out as he slammed a fist into his chest as he smiled back at me. "Good. Focus your legs. Break the field. Get close." Steam started to come off Crum as Guts activated from the paralysis. I had a plan.

"Graveler, Rock throw! Keep that shield up," Surge yelled as he finally came out the stupor we all fell into.

"Crum, play hopscotch," I countered. Crum jumped up at the Rock Throw as he used each rock as a springboard to build up speed at his opponent.

"Graveler full power to shields. Now!" Surge exclaimed as Crum flew at his Pokémon.

As Crum hung in the air, I called out, "Brick Break!"

Crum broke through Gravelers Thunder Shield into its surprised face. The combination of Crum's immense strength and the extra speed sent Graveler off like a bullet. In the blink of an eye, the Rock-Electric had been sent several meters into the wall.

All of us stood in shock, Crum and I at his strength and Surge at his loss. Finally, it sunk in.

"Yahoo," I yelled as I rushed Crum. He turned to me surprised as he caught me in a flying hug. It was strange for him to be so much larger now, but I didn't care. Honestly, I didn't care that we won either. I had my partner back. My friend.

Crum placed me down and put a hand on my shoulder. He looked down with an apologetic frown. I looked up and shook my head. "No, you were right to be angry. I should have told you. I said I trusted you, but hid things from you. No more. We do this together. No matter what happens," I promised him. He smiled back at me with relief painted on his face.

"My Graveler isn't dead. Thanks for asking," Surge grumbled out ruining our moment. We both flinched as we saw some of Surges Gym Trainers take his Graveler out in forklift turned into a stretcher.

"Sorry about that. I didn't expect your Machoke to evolve then," I apologized.

"I didn't expect for your Pokémon to follow your orders, but its whatever brat." Surge walked back to his side of the arena. "Well, I lost that one. Do you want to keep your Machoke out?"

I shook my head as Crum twisted at me with a stricken look. I patted him on the arm as I explained, "This isn't a punishment, bud. You just evolved, and you aren't used to these muscles or body. You could suffer permanent damage if we aren't careful right now. Pan and I will finish this."

Crum still looked unsure but conceded to my decision. "Good. I'm going to have you stay out to watch. You're going to enjoy this." He quirked a muscled brow but followed behind as we went back to our side of the field.

"If you're done now with your mushy moment, let's finish this. You send out first."

Without preamble I released Pan. She quickly went from serious professionalism to awe when she saw Crum. She chittered around him excitedly as Crum beamed at the attention.

"Pan. The gym battle," I said gesturing with my arms to the field. She stopped fawning over Crum and went back to the battlefield. I sighed outwardly at her antics. Crum was still her favorite for some unknown reason.

"Ah what a cute rodent. Mines better," Surge once again ragged at us. As the light from the Pokeball disappeared, a Raichu came into focus. Jackpot.

I had hoped Surge would do this. His Raichu was part of his primary team. She was as fast as lightning but famously couldn't take a hit. Most people tried to wall her or outlast her, but we were going to outspeed her. At least it would look like it.

Deciding to try and catch my opponents off foot I started the battle. "Pan, Whack a mole," I ordered. Soon Pan quickly burrowed into the ground and began to form her tunnels.

"Rai watch your feet. Ready a Slam," Surge warned. Too bad I wasn't going on the offensive yet. Next, fountains of dirt began to spout across the field.

"Pan, deeper," I yelled as Pan popped in and out of one of the holes in a spiral to build up speed. The Raichu was swiveling between all the holes as she tried to locate Pan. I had her dig deeper to avoid detection from the electric rat better.

"Poison shot," I shouted in hopes in hopes of her hearing me. I was rewarded with Pan rising out of the dirt and launching a Poison Sting at Raichu. Just as soon as Raichu deflected the poison barbs with her tail, Pan fired another barrage from a different hole.

Raichu would be faster than Pan ten times out of ten above ground. Underground was another story. Electric moves were useless on the Sandshrew and Raichu couldn't get a grasp of where Pan was. I needed to end this fast before Surge found a way past our strategy.

"Pan, Pseudo-Roll," I screamed as I grabbed onto Crum. Both Crum and Surge looked at me in surprise while I just smiled back. Soon the ground rumbled and shook as the field began to come apart. Raichu was unable to retain her footing and had started to panic.

Pseudo-Roll was my way of mimicking Earthquake. While not as powerful, when Pan used Rollout in her tunnels, she could emulate the effect of the attack. For it to be adequately utilized the ground needed to be already unstable and eventually the tunnels would collapse. That led to our final step.

Raichu was crying out as Surge yelled at her to calm down. Without her grounding, she was becoming upset. Many Electric-types had similar reactions to being hit with Ground moves. If they couldn't conduct electricity, they would freak out.

"Collapse," I cried out with a scratchy voice. I needed a better way to convey orders I reasoned.

The quaking stopped. Then a crash cracked through the air as the floor fell out below Raichu. She cried out again before I landed the coup de grace.

"Magnitude," I ordered one last time as the previously falling chunks of dirt rose back up to slam into Raichu. Often Magnitude varied in the amount of earth that could move but was able to pre-form the pieces of dirt to maximize the move's potential.

The Magnitude formed a cocoon around Raichu. As it fell away, it revealed an unconscious Raichu and unharmed Pan in the pit she had just made.

"Hell yeah," I cheered with a pumped fist upon our victory. Crum chuckled at my spectacle, but he was vibrating with energy too.

Coming out of the pit Pan ran into my arms, and I began to spin her. "That was great girl. Just like we practiced. That couldn't have been more perfect. You both are getting rewarded tonight," I congratulated.

Loud steps broke our celebration as I faced Surge who wore a grim face. It morphed into a giant smile as he held out his hand, "Damn, kid. I can't say I've ever seen moves like that. I thought you weren't much, but you have the brains and brawn on your team."

I shook his hand with my own grin. "Oh, that's just my team. we are the best."

He laughed with his head thrown back. "I wouldn't go that far. I wasn't using my best. Hell, I could have used Explosion once I saw your Machop was down. If I had anyone else on me besides Raichu, your Sandshrew wouldn't have as easy as time."

I just shrugged as he defended himself. I won, and I knew better. Surge could try to minimize it as much as he liked. I beat him.

"Well, you gave me a damn fine match. Here is the Thunder Badge. Also, as thanks for a good match here is a TM. It contains Shock Wave. Useful move that seeks the electric signals in Pokémon to shock them no matter what."

I pocketed both items and returned Pan. Crum would stay out longer. We had catching up to do.

"When you reach the end of the season, I want to battle again. Id like to see how much a badass you can become."

"I might just take you up on that offer," I said already planning new ways to beat him.

"What you going to do now kid? Sabrina? She is closest," Surge asked.

"I'm going to eat some goddamn food," I laughed as stomach growled to finish my point.

Surge laughed as Crum, and I walked out the door with a new badge ready to face whatever came. Together.


	10. Chapter 10

Masks of All Kinds

I looked on in horror as I saw the handle in Crum's hand. Glass littered the ground as passersby walked around the debris. Crum wore an equally shocked expression as he held his grip on the remaining part of the door to the Pokemart.

We had come here to buy the Limiter Belt Crum needed now he had evolved into a Machoke. He had tried to be courteous and open the door for me. No good deed goes unpunished.

A middle-aged man in a blue apron came rushing from inside at us. "What the hell happened here?" he questioned heatedly.

"Oh. Uh, sorry. I was coming here to buy a Limiter Belt but, we weren't able to get here before my Machoke…broke something," I spoke in hopes of defusing the situation. Judging by the pulsing veins in the man's neck, I wasn't successful. "I'm Al Brown. I can pay for this," I said with an outstretched hand.

The man let out a breath and dragged his hand over his face. "The name is Don and forget the door kid. This why adults have insurance. Leave your Pokémon in its ball next time, okay."

"Will do, and I really can pay. I have the money," I apologized while I returned Crum. I mentally berated myself for letting the fact that I was so happy we were friendly again get in the way of the fact Crum had no way to control his increased strength.

Don stared me down, trying to measure me up. He must have seen something as he rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I appreciate it son but consider this a learning experience. I can't even get an idea of how much this will cost till I get a claims adjuster here. Just keep in mind that adults don't always the luxury of being forgiven for their actions."

The fact he was looking down on me as child irked me a bit. I was perfectly capable as an adult, at least financially. An undefeated Trainer was usually rolling in the cash, and I had Caroline as a financial advisor. The unknown slight he sent at me tempered my desire to pay my debt, so I narrowed my eyes and head into the store.

Pokemarts were unique in every city, unlike their Pokémon Center counterparts. Each Mart was tailored to its city and the surrounding areas needs. Viridian had higher grades of Antidotes than most in the region, while Vermillion had a more excellent supply of bait for fishing. It was little differences that set them apart. Also, while the Centers had affiliation with the League, Pokemarts were not. Some were part of corporations, and others were locally owned, such as in smaller towns like Lavender Town.

Certain items were harder to find, such as Evolutionary Stones and rare Berries. Thankfully I found a Limiter Belt very quickly. Since Machoke was a typical construction worker, most Marts had a small stock of these belts.

I continued to walk the aisles as I resupplied my healing supplies, I had used during the travel from Cerulean to Vermillion. I also grabbed more special Pokémon feed for each member of my team. While I was comparing brands, I felt my Pokegear rumble with a call.

"Hello," I answered without looking at the ID.

"Congratulations, Al. A mission complete and a Badge won. I'm impressed and even more important so is the Boss," Archer smoothly cheered over the phone.

I scrunched up my face in a disgusted frown at his voice. Not only had Archer found out about my completed mission but had also heard of my Gym victory well before it had been placed into the League system again. I could hear his smug smile across the line as he reveled in the feeling of being a step ahead of me. I pulled back my anger by reminding myself that I not only knew his future but was playing him. He wasn't a step ahead. He was a thousand behind.

"Archer, always good to hear from you. Did you need me for something that wasn't a glorified delivery?" I snarked back at him.

A pleased chuckle answered me. "Now Al, Team Rocket needed to grab a measure of your commitment to us merely. A simple job completed without conflict allows me to affirm to those in Rocket leadership your capabilities. While not quite an agent trusted to complete a solo mission, you now have the title of being an agent. sIn fact, you are to come back to the Outpost. I have a gift for you."

Without giving me time to decline, Archer hung up. I growled in distaste while I pocketed my Pokegear. I quickly walked over to the register to pay. As I did so, I turned to see Don sweeping the glass from in front of the store. I slipped the items I bought into my bag as I ambled over to him.

"Please, let me pay. I feel terrible," I pleaded to Don. He leveled a look at me, and his mouth quirked into a small smile.

"Look, kid, I appreciate, but I remember how hard it was starting as a Trainer. Things may seem easy now but give it a few losses, and you won't be so free with your money. Pay me back by coming back when you need supplies. A few years of loyal patronage will drain your savings more in the long term."

Don wore a pleased visage as he looked down at me. I still felt terrible despite his friendly nature. A person should always make up for their mistakes. Then an idea struck me. I pulled out a scrap of paper from one of my notebooks I kept for field notes and scribbled a number down on it.

Confusion spread over Don's face as I handed him the paper. "Call that number later. Think of them as a celebrity endorsement," I smirked up the manager.

A look of amusement replaced uncertainty as Don chuckled at my comment. Not surprising as it wasn't common for ten-year-old to know celebrities much less be one. At least in certain circles.

I waved bye as I head towards the Pokémon Fan Club and the headache that was Archer Apollo of Team Rocket.

xxx

As I walked into the Fan Club, I came upon with two surprises. First was that lights were off and second was that only Archer was waiting for me. He was seated where the Chairman had previously been. He lazed back with a smile gracing his features. In front of him lay a stainless-steel briefcase that I supposed was my "gift."

"Al, you have truly exceeded expectations. I was sure it would take you another month to beat Surge, but lo and behold not only did you trounce him, but you also completed the mission I tasked you with. Such efficiency has impressed those of us within the higher echelons of Team Rocket." His laidback smile became replaced with one of hunger. "You are proving a worthwhile investment. So much so that I can fast track your rise into an Agent. While not a commander role, you will be above the simple Grunt. Now is when you thank me."

I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes as he crowed. His tone told me he was far more pleased with his acquiring of me than my actual efforts. I hadn't indeed done much. Only proved I wasn't as incompetent as the standard Grunt that was always caught by the authorities. Loyal to a fault, but it was well known the lower levels of the Rocket organization comprised of washed out Trainers and criminals of all flavors.

"As long as you're happy, then I'm happy," I sneered back at the Executive. I strolled over to the table that Archer was seated at and pulled up a chair. "Now what does becoming an Agent entail. Hopefully not more delivery missions."

Archer gave off a chuckle. "No. you have proved that your capabilities far exceed such missions. As an Agent, you will be expected to maintain your cover as Trainer on the Gym Circuit. We will occasionally call to give a mission, but they will vary in difficulty and timeframe. As such, you will be given a codename to hide your identity from even those within Team Rocket with a few exceptions."

"Is Archer just a codename," I questioned.

"No, no. As an Executive, the whole organization must know my status. Unlike our Agents, I am in no danger of a loose-lipped Grunt upsetting my life. Agents are allowed a life outside of Team Rocket. For all other Executives and I, Team Rocket, is our life. Serving our leaders dream is our purpose." Adoration flooded over him as he basked in his idolatry in Team Rocket. A true fanatic if I ever heard one.

Archer continued his debrief with a theatrically wave of his hand. "You are unique among Agents due to your age and reputation. Being so young will make you susceptible to Psychic intrusion by even the weakest Psychic type. I have had something special made to both hide your identity and protect your thoughts."

He was correct on the fact that my age made me more susceptible to psychic infiltration. A child's brain was continually growing at least in the sense of their mental capabilities. As an adult in a child's body, I wasn't sure how my mind had grown compared to that of an average child.

I wasn't weak to telepathy. I was lucky to have little contact with Psychic types. If Archer could give me a way to protect my thoughts and more importantly, my memories, then I was already getting more out of this partnership than previously thought.

Continuing his showmanship, Archer spun the briefcase between and unclasped the hinges. He slowly opened the case to reveal its contents.

Inside was a mask — more a cowl than anything. The mask was shaped to cover the top half of my face and head. My mouth would be exposed while my eyes would be covered by a dark film that draped over the eye sockets. I stroked the mask and was surprised by how smooth it felt.

"The mask is made from a Tyranitars hip bone. The durability will ensure it will withstand most trauma while the Dark-type properties of the Pokémon will ensure your minds protection. Our manufacturers tell me that its Dark aura is so strong that even if you aren't currently wearing it, it will take a particularly strong Psychic to enter your mind. With the mask you have assured protection," Archer explained with a sickeningly pleased tone.

I held back a shudder as I picked up the mask. Using Pokémon within manufactured goods was not uncommon. However, to use Tyranitar bone was exceptionally dangerous and cruel. Tyranitar upon death solidified instantly into a rock. So, to receive the bone for use, the Tyranitar had to have been alive during the extraction. There was no doubt in my mind that this Tyranitar was not at peace when it finally died.

"Go ahead and try it on. It has a strap in the back to tighten or loosen it," Archer instructed. I slipped the mask over my face as my head settled into the strap. The cowl felt more like a helmet as I pulled back the back half to cover my entire head. I felt along the sides for iron clips that secure the two halves of the mask together.

I felt a brief sense of panic as I the Dark aura wash over me but quickly acclimated as I focused on the fit of the mask. It felt cold without changing the temperature to the rest of the room. I secured the fit to make it comfortable. I rolled my head around and made quick, jerky movements to ensure its stability.

Despite my desire to state otherwise, the cowl was excellently crafted. My vision was not impaired despite a slight loss in my peripherals. It had a weight to it, but the mask could hardly be considered

substantial.

"It feels good. I'm impressed," I complimented with real meaning. My voice sounded slightly deeper and wispy. Dark auras were incredibly hard to measure, and there was little knowledge on its effect on the natural world. The hip bone must have enough ambient aura to affect my voice as it exited my mouth. Not scientifically accurate, but neither were Dark types.

Archer smiled slightly, "I will take the praise to heart. It must take quite a bit to achieve such from you." I frowned at him though I wasn't sure how my glare looked while wearing the mask. "When you are on a mission, you are to wear this not that I believe you wouldn't."

I grunted in affirmation as I removed the mask. I continued to examine the exterior of the cowl. It completely covered my hair and ears to hide my identity better. Archer had put forth considerable effort to protect me. "What next," I questioned.

He steepled his fingers as he slipped from his affable nature into one of seriousness. "We have found readings coming off from the abandoned Power Plant on Route 10. Currently, we are still examining the data, but I have decided that we need a visual. In two weeks, you will meet back at the Cerulean outpost. You will not be leading the mission but will likely the strongest among the team we assemble. As an Agent, you are separate from the team, but I recommend you follow the orders of the leading Grunt. This mission is simply an experience issue. Consider this an opportunity to learn how to lead in the future."

I quickly flinched my mouth to a frown. "I don't like working with others. Less so having to lead idiots." Even before this world, I didn't play well with others.

The stare Archer sent at me brooked no complaint. "Whether you realize it or not, you have the makings of a leader. Our Boss saw such capabilities in me, and I see similar abilities in you. Either way, you will be expected to lead in the future. You best grow up in that regard."

My eyes widened at this appraisal from Archer. The frank praise startled me. I wasn't expecting Archer to think so much of me. At least in so short of a time. I felt a strange feeling in my chest that I hadn't felt in years. I felt…pride. I was disgusted.

I stuffed my mask into my bag, and hastily rose up to leave. "If we are done here, I'm going to use this time to train."

As I turned to leave, Archer called out to me, "One more thing. Do you not wish to know your new alias?"

I looked over my shoulder with narrowed eyes. Archers face contorted into a smirk that spoke of a joke that only he knew. "What is it," I inquired.

Archers smile morphed into an even more smug visage. "You are now known as the Iron Mask Marauder."

xxx

I was currently looking out into a large pond on Route 6. In my hands was my new mask. Annoyance and familiarity plagued my thoughts as I stared at the macabre cowl.

I knew the name "Iron Mask Marauder" was associated with Pokémon. The problem was it was either so long ago or insignificant that I couldn't grasp its exact place within the Pokémon universe. Whatever or whoever the Marauder was in Pokémon wasn't my issue.

It was the fact I forgot anything in general. I had made several plans based on the fact I remember most things. I didn't have an eidetic memory simply excellent recall. However, if I forgot something at all, even the smallest detail, might indicate I had forgotten something much more significant.

The past month I had been operating on the assumption that I could coast through my plans to return home on my in-depth knowledge of Pokémon. After being blindsided one too many times by Archer and not outright blowing out the Gym Leaders, I needed to take more active efforts in my team.

Time training was time better suited for furthering my goal of going home. I had to accept that my natural abilities and those of my team were not enough. I couldn't have a real powerhouse on my team as Pokémon that was considered absurdly powerful took time to train.

That was why Crum was as crucial as he was to the team. A Machamp was top tier in physical strength, and Crum already was dedicated to me despite our previous tension.

None of my current team had such potential. All of them, if properly trained, were as dangerous as any other Pokémon, but I didn't want to dedicate the time to such long term training.

My brooding was quickly interrupted by my Pokegear trilling in my pocket. I smiled as I recognized the number.

"Hey, Sam. How is it going?"

"Oh, quite well, Al. I just scheduled a meeting with a Don of Vermillion to have a promotional event next month. I was quite surprised when my private number was given out to a stranger. Even more so when I hear it was payment for a broken door. Quite a surprise, hmm," the Professor hummed.

I broke out into a smile. Sam wasn't agitated. He was as much an entrepreneur as he was a scientist. The Pokemon Professor valued good business relationships as much as his privacy to work in the lab. Though he never corrected the assumption that he was a hermit that hated communication. He still much preferred his scholarly pursuits over any other.

"Well next time Crum breaks down a door, I won't use your fame as payment," I teased across the phone.

Sam chuckled good-naturedly, "Hopefully you won't have any more troubles with doors. Now tell me about Crum's evolution. You must have been battling nonstop for him to have evolved already. How much larger did he grow? Is he comparable to other of his species? What were the effects of his feed? Have you noticed increased levels of testosterone?"

I rolled my eyes as Sam slipped into his role as the Pokémon Professor. He knew more about Pokémon than anyone. Hell, he probably had more information on Crum than I did despite our traveling together. The Pokedex was a modern marvel, but in my opinion, Samuel Oak was the real miracle. Regarding being a font knowledge at least.

"His overall size seems to be in line with other males of his species, though from my own bias, I would say his muscle mass is denser from the type of training I've put him through," I recited back to Sam as fell back into being one of his assistants. "Though not able to accurately measure without the proper machines, I believe that specialty feed allowed Crum to greater acclimate to his evolution. It was extremely evident by his performance post-Evolution against Surge."

"Oh, he evolved in a Gym battle that must have been spectacular. How about his behavior," Sam interrupted.

A visible flinch hit me as I thought about how Crum and I had been over the past few days. I was glad Sam couldn't see that. "Before the evolution we were…in a bit of a disagreement. After he evolved, we reconciled so if he is feeling increased aggression; he may be trying to hide it so as not to ruin the peace."

The Professor hummed in contemplation as he absorbed my report. "Trainers and Pokémon rarely always get along. It's the sign of a good Trainer and team if they can solve any problems without lasting damage to their synergy." I grunted in affirmation as I waited for more on his thoughts. "Though I will say that any Pokémon, especially a Machoke, needs time to release any excess energy and get used to its body. I recommend you allow Crum to run free to get used to his new body before he heads back into training."

"Thanks, Sam. Any advice for the rest of my team? I know you have my notes and their information over the Pokedex," I asked. Sam was the only person I accepted as being more knowledgeable on Pokémon. My Albert Einstein persona had a bit of a reputation among the scientific community of being a bit arrogant. Currently, I was in a feud with Professor Paul Elm on the correct classification of Abilities among Pokémon. Based on the reviews of our articles, I was winning.

Shuffling sounds reverbed over the Pokegear as Sam searched his assuredly cluttered desk. Both of us had a similar style of organized chaos to keep track of everything. It pissed Halsey off to no end.

"Let's see I knew about the Shinx. You also have a Ponyta and a Sandshrew. A very decent team with good coverage. I can already see what style of combat your attempting."

"Oh?" I questioned. I was curious as to what he saw as the only Pokémon I outright caught was Blink. A common theme among my team was not known to me.

"Speed. While none of your Pokémon are outright the fastest of even their type, they all can overwhelm opponents with hit and run tactics. If properly trained, you could have a team that is rarely hit. At least until you battle a Trainer of sufficient experience."

The realization hit me as I thought on my team. I had already been working to make my unit work as such. The thought of making my whole team work as unhittable speed demons hadn't fermented yet in my mind.

"So, what you are saying is focus on making sure my Pokémon aren't hit."

"Its an option. Pokémon are immensely flexible in their capabilities. However, I don't such tactics holding out in higher levels of League battling. You will have to figure out the details yourself. After all, that's part of the joy of being a Trainer, figuring it out yourself," Sam laughed out.

Already I had my notebook out as I sketch out plans and strategies I was planning out. Sam had given me an idea on how to beat even the most powerful Trainer. That idea was nasty mean.

"Appreciate it Sam. Sorry about blindsiding you with the Pokemart thing," I apologized.

Sam let a huff of air in dismissal. "It's no big issue, my boy. It gave me a good reason to call. I will endeavor to try to more often, but well you know how I can be," he sheepishly spoke across the line.

"I do. I will try to do it myself. Oh, and tell Halsey she's on my list for ratting me out to Caroline," I warned.

A laugh echoed as Sam finished his goodbyes, "I will. Also, Al, congratulations. You are exceeding my expectations." The line cut off as Sam hanged up.

A surge of warmth hit my chest as I soaked in his praise. This feeling of pride wasn't as off-putting as when I had felt it from Archer's compliments. I let out a sigh in exasperation. I was sorely deprived of the emotional fulfillment an adult needed over a child.

I steeled myself as I began to plan my training session with my team. Time to get rocking.

xxx

I stoked the fire as my team chowed on their dinner. The night was illuminated both the light and the moon. As I looked out into the dark, I saw a few Oddish plodding along, avoiding us while absorbing energy from the moonlight.

A feeling of contentment permeated the camp. The tension between Crum and I that previously stifled our nights had reverted to our quiet nights from the beginning of our journey.

I had finished our training schedule for the next two weeks. I waited for my team to finish dinner before I began explaining it to them. Slowly the settled after eating and with a soft grunt from Crum they all turned to face.

I sent a thankful smile to him as I began, "First off let's congratulate Pan for winning us our third badge and Crum on both a hard-fought win and his evolution." Snorts and cries sounded off as the team cheered. Well, the team besides Blink. He gave a nod, so that was about as good as we were going to get. Shimmer and Pan cheered enough for him as is. Hard to tell with his skin tone, but a light blush graced Crum's face.

As they calmed down again, I adopted a more severe expression. "Now we have two things to discuss tonight. First, I needed to apologize to you all." Uncertainty was apparent on their faces except for Crum who had a look of understanding. I had learned my lesson on trust in my team. People are deceitful, but even the most mischievous Dark type wouldn't betray its trainers. If adequately trained, that is.

"I have been hiding a large decision because I doubted your understanding. I'm sure you all remember Team Rocket from Mt. Moon," I dryly reminded them as they all gave nods of understanding. "After we beat Misty in Cerulean, I beat the Nugget Bridge challenge. At the end of the, a representative of Team Rocket asked me to join. I said, yes."

Whereas Crum had shown obvious distress when I made the decision, the others only had a mild level of surprise. This was to be predicted. Crum had a lifetime of learning about the crimes where the others would only have the Mt. Moon incident. Their reactions to human enemies would always be less compared to Crum. Until they learned otherwise and sadly, I think they would know this danger sooner rather than later.

A sigh escaped from as I readied for my explanation. "I did this not because I agree with their beliefs or desire to work with them, but to take them out from the inside. The League has, for as long as I've known, been unable to wipe them out or identify their leader. My position in the world makes me unique and a tantalizing resource for the Rockets. I will rise through the ranks to find out the Leaders identity, prove his position, and take out the organization."

I paused as I let this revelation sink in. Again this mostly passed over their heads, but I owed them the truth just the same.

"We still are working to become the Champion, but the Rockets need to be beaten first. I need not just a great team but a loyal one. From here on we can't trust anyone except each other. As a Rocket, we will likely be asked to do things that are…unsavory. We will not cross the line of taking a life, but everything else will become fair game," I gravely intoned.

Understanding began to take hold over them as I continued explaining our future. I braced myself for the next part of my speech.

"Now I will give you all this one chance to leave. Only one. After this, I can't risk you being out in the wild, and I will have to hold you in the PC. At least until Team Rocket is taken out." My ultimatum shocked them as I dropped it on them. A dark glare took over Crum's features. I returned his glare with a resolute stare.

He needed to know how serious I was. This was not what id like to offer to them, but I needed to stand my ground. My future was predicated on the success of this plan. The whole team felt unease. Rarely had I ever had to discipline my Pokemon, and the threat of virtual imprisonment was by far the worst thing I could do to them besides death.

"I know its severe, but we can't have any failures or dissidence," I coldly spoke. "Give it a few minutes to think. Whatever your decision, I'm thankful to have the time I've had with you. It is better to leave now than stay and regret it."

I sat back as the team thought in silence. Crum was seated in a crossed leg position with his eyes closed. He may have forgiven me, but he still needed to come to terms with whether he could go through with my plan. Even Shimmer had settled into a melancholic mood that was mirrored by Pan. The surprise was Blink.

After a few minutes of him looking back and forth between myself and the others, he rose in an audible huff. He padded in front and stared up at me with a firm look. I was curious as he hadn't even seemed to think about the dilemma I put forth. He simply stared at the others in confusion.

Now he stared up at me. As he kept his gaze, I noticed how close to my height he was when I was sitting down. Then he continued to surprise me by force his head into my fist that I was unknowingly clenching.

I let out a breath as he showed deference to me as he lowered his head to me — shock, emotion shock, coursed through my body. I thought Blink would have been deeply against the threat I leveled. Instead, he answered with respect.

Rising from her spot on the ground, Shimmer trotted over. She also gazed me into the eyes. For the first time since I knew her, I thought that something besides playfulness was in her eyes. That notion was quickly quashed as she took a chunk of my hair in her mouth. I swatted her away with a yelp, but I looked back at her with a smile. Not the smartest, but I knew I could depend on her to stick with me unless I went bald maybe.

Pan looked conflicted as she looked between us and Crum, who was still deep in thought. In their short time together, Pan had developed an affection for the newly evolved Fighting type. Whether it was romantic or only admiration, I could not tell. Pan eventually rose to her feet and began to walk towards me. She settled into my lap and licked my hand. A simple gesture that spoke volumes to me.

Time stretched on as we waited for Crum. The embers in the fire began to die as the night stretched on. Shimmer became restless and wandered into the dark to amuse herself. Pan had fallen asleep while Blink had started to pace in front of me. He was more impatient during the wait than I was.

By the time the moon had reached its full height, Crum had opened his eyes. He rose to his full height that towered over me even when standing. He wore the Limiter now, but that didn't stop him from sending up clouds of dust.

Now he stood above looking down at me with lidded eyes. I held my composure despite the whirlwind of emotions I was experiencing. Slowly he crouched in front to stare me eye to eye. We sat there for what felt like an eternity. I dared not to blink. I felt tears in my eyes when Crum exhaled from his nose forcefully.

Then he placed his hand on my shoulder. When he did this before as a Machop, there was an undeniable strength to him. Now as Machoke it was so much more. Not just raw power, but a discipline that wasn't there as a Machop. There was always the threat of injury with a Machop, but with a Machoke I realized was that if I was hurt, it was because he desired to cause me pain. I refused to turn away.

Finally, a smile split his now reptilian face. He leaned his head to mine, and we touched foreheads. We sat connected for a few seconds before Crum let out a deep rumble.

Somehow without actual words, I understood his entire intent with his nonverbal communication. We would be together. No matter what we faced. Even when we failed, we would be together.

I raised my hand and placed it on his shoulder. The assuring smile on Crum's smile was replaced with a victorious smirk. My own soon mirrored his.

Now is when the real journey begins.


	11. Chapter 11

Training Days

The next morning after my ultimatum was far less tense than was expected. Probably because my Pokémon were too tired to think about it.

I woke them all in the hours of the morning before the sun had risen. I had them begin several laps around the large pond. At first, it seemed a simple run until a few laps turned into a fifty.

They all took the increased intensity of training in their own ways. Pan and Machoke had been unaffected by the mud hindering their run at first, but as time went on, they started to flag. Shimmer with her hooves and Blink having the dirt stifle his electric sprinting struggled far more.

Previously when I trained them, it was only a simple move combination or basic commands. Now that we all were committed to the path we were on, the whole team needed to be at an Elite level as soon as possible.

I would be putting the training of years into a few months. It wouldn't entirely put them at the strength of an Elite or Master level Pokémon. Any progress was positive. My only concern was burning them out. After everyone else had gone to bed, I pulled Crum aside to tell him my plan. He would be the one that held me back from going too far.

Based on the fact I could see steam coming off him, it was time for the first break. "Everyone that's good. Get some water and rest," I yelled out from my position overlooking the pond. I was proud to say none of them collapsed getting water. The crumpled in a heap in front of me instead.

Pan was heaving while laying on her back. Shimmer was laying primly with heavy breathes. Blink was putting on a stubborn face and refused to let his buckling legs give. As for Crum, he had taken a knee. He looked not as fatigued as the others thanks to his constitution, but it still showed.

Theses first laps were merely a warmup. It would only get harder from here. Thankfully all Pokémon had immensely high levels of recuperation. Medicines and Pokémon Centers generally were for immediate or extreme injuries. Bruises, and cuts commonly healed within a day. Some species could even regrow limbs at the cost of several calories.

"Good job, ya'll. I know that kind of training is more difficult compared to what we have had in the past. Now that we have a goal that is so dangerous, I needed you all to grow at a higher rate," I explained to my already recovering team. Understanding showed in their eyes as they accepted this new pace.

"These next two weeks will be harder than any other. When traveling, I can't afford to work you as I will be. So, I will be pushing every single one of you past your current limits. Every morning we will begin with these laps. Every morning we will add ten more laps."

I held back a laugh as they all groaned. They were not looking forward to the increased workload, but the tiredness my team had previously was replaced with determination once they heard the reasoning for it. Pokémon had an inherent desire to grow stronger and would go through most means to achieve this power. This was a reason why the Trainer/Pokémon relationship was seen as symbiotic.

I continued as I moved past their complaints, "Thirteen days. That's how long before we are sent on our first legitimate mission for Team Rocket." They all straighten up at this. "Not only do we have been as good as possible to accomplish it, but also be able to save any innocents that may be hurt. We can't let the Rockets know our plans and being more skilled than any others is our best option."

Resolve etched every individual face. Well, except Shimmer. I had her attention, so I figured that was all right.

"Each of you will have unique training regiments. Also, I will personally work with each of you for three days, one on one." Visible excitement shuddered through them. Advancements in technique were gold to most Pokémon. Any wild Pokémon could become stronger, but the ingenuity and intelligence of a human mind made caught Pokémon infinitely more potent than their wild cousins. Even Psychic-types with their massive intelligence were held back by their animalistic instincts.

I smiled as my Pokémon's excitement flooded into me. I was also looking forward to this training vacation. Such dedicated training always made me feel closer to my team. Despite how much pain I knew it would bring me in the future, I enjoyed my time with them.

"First three days will be Shimmer followed by Blink then Pan and finally Crum," I spoke as I relayed my plan to my team. Shimmer flared in excitement on getting first to go with me. Pan chittered while Blink stomped in a shower of sparks to show his approval. Crum looked more troubled than the others.

Likely he thought I was punishing him. We had reconciled twice over now. He needed to quit being so sensitive. For such a physically imposing Pokémon, he had a soft heart. A fact that I was proud of as his friend but annoyed by as his trainer.

"As I said, we will do the warmup laps in the morning. After a brief rest, we will separate. Whoever is with me will focus on techniques and increasing our functionality in battles. The others will work on the things I have laid out for you." I was answered with cries of approval.

Once they quieted down, I began to lay out their timetables. "Pan I want you to focus on using Dig to make more complex tunnel systems. In conjunction I want you to increase the speed in which you do this. I want efficiency out of you. Perfect Whack a Mole. I also want to see Magnitude be easier for you to use. Head over to that field and start," I ordered concisely.

Pan quickly rose and scampered to the open field by the pond. I hope she got Magnitude to the point where she could more easily shape the earth. Otherwise, we would be leaving a mess when we left.

"Blink now is when you perfect your Charge mode. I want you to be able to hold it continuously and without it giving you tunnel vision or hindering your mobility. Accomplish this by the time I get to you, and we should be ready to work on getting you evolved."

Not even his usual stern demeanor could be contained as he lost control of his stored electricity. Embarrassment quickly rose up in him as I couldn't help chuckling at him. Crum also began to let out chuffed sounds from his chest. Blink glared up at the Superpower Pokémon, but this was a mistake. As he turned Shimmer swopped in to give him a sloppy lick across his ear. He hissed and swatted at her.

As I pulled back on the enjoyment, I got from picking on my most surly child I began again. "I want you to head into those trees. You should be able to weave between by the time we have our one on one."

Blink quickly rose and headed off into the wooded area past the pond in a hurry, likely as much as a desire to begin training as soon as possible as to get away from us. I smiled as he ran away and faced my first partner.

"Sadly, Crum I don't have much for you," I told him as disappointment appeared on his profile. I cut off his sulkiness with my clarification. "Because you evolved a day ago. You need to get used to your new strength and the Limiter Belt."

Understanding washed over him, and he stiffened into a focused stance. I smiled up at him. "Before I had you punch trees without breaking them. Now that you are evolved, I can't have you chopping down the forest with your punches." He rewarded my joke with a toothy smile. I remember years ago he would roll his eyes at me, joking around. Leaving the Lab had eased him up a bit.

"So instead you will go into the pond. The water will resist your punches and kicks, but that just an added benefit to what I want with you. By the time I get to you, I want you to be able to throw a punch that can split the water as well as a punch that doesn't disrupt the water. Power and control. That's what you need to relearn with this body. I expect the same with kicks."

Crum smiled in anticipation and headed into the pond without needing even to be told. He waded up to his neck and threw a punch.

Shimmer cried as she quickly ran away as a wall of water rose up and crashed into where we gathered. Rain pummeled me as I fell backward. I reoriented myself as I got up from the ground and wiped the water from my face. I sent an unamused frown at Crum, who was sheepishly smiling back.

"Maybe focus on control first then power," I recommended. Crum dutifully nodded and much more deliberately started his submerged training. Large waves hit the shore from his actions, but at least the water stayed in the pond.

Suddenly I felt a rise in temperature. I turned and saw Shimmer was using her fire to dry me off. I began to stroke her muzzle. "Thanks, girl. I appreciate it. Let's get away from here. I doubt either of us wants to get soaked by Crum."

With a cheerful whinny, she followed into an open field to begin her training.

xxx

I felt terrible about the amount of time I had spent with Shimmer. I spent plenty of time outside of battling with her. She had also seen plenty of battles against the multitude of Trainers we had encountered on the various Routes. Unlike the rest of my team, she rarely received personal training. Part of it was that she wasn't as battle hungry as the other. Another was she didn't have the move set.

Ponyta, as a rule, grew slowly. As battling Pokémon, they were, but the natural moves they learned came late in their life cycle. The same could be said for their evolution into Rapidash. Raising a Ponyta was a commitment that I had initially wanted to avoid, but Shimmer had taken that choice from me when she refused not to be caught.

I was well off enough now that I could release her and not worry about the cost of the Pokeballs. By now though I had put too much into her. I also happened to have grown to like her simplicity. She was not an intellectual wonder, but she had a unique atmosphere of comfort about her. She reminded me more of a dog over a horse.

"All right, Shim. You are honestly difficult to plan for," I admitted to her with a hint of guilt. She tilted her head in a show of her lack of understanding.

"You are speedy, but you don't have muscle mass as a Ponyta to hit hard like the others can or will. I have plans to fix your available strategies, but I don't have the resources yet. However, I do have a few we can try out right now."

Shimmer pranced in enjoyment. I smiled at her joy. She truly deserved more attention than I had given her. "Also, you have been kept out of some important battles. That changes soon." She stopped hopping about and gave me her undivided attention. I grinned widely at her as she calmed down for once.

"The next Gym as of right now is going to be your time to shine. If we can swing it, it will be just you. After I'm done with you, I hope you will be able to blaze through anything," I resolutely promised her.

My little Ponyta threw her head back in an excited whinny. I continued to grin as I always did when I was with Shimmer. Everyone else on the team had a certain level of severity about them and while it was a good thing for professionalism, but it could be a bit tiring. Shimmer was the light of my team. In more ways than one.

I readied myself as I shifted into a more serious expression. "Now you have a limited move pool right now. I can fix that later, but as of right we don't have much to work with." Shimmer showed she followed along with a nod. "So, we are going to take a page out of Pan's playbook and combine moves to make pseudo versions of actual techniques."

Shimmer snorted in affirmation. "First show how well you can use your current moves. Quick Attack into Ember then Double Kick into Flame Wheel. Keep doing this until I say stop."

For the next five minutes, Shimmer did her move set. Despite my failures to guide her as I should have, she showed decent control of her abilities.

Eventually, I told Shimmer to stop. She huffed in exhaustion as she began to catch her breath. Ponyta could run for long times but using battle techniques always drained a Pokémon's energy faster.

"Impressive, Shimmer. Rest a bit while I explain what we are going to do," I called out to her. She plodded over and took a seat.

"First off, many people will recognize your base moves once they hear me call them out. With you and your teammates, I'm going to make signals for them. Understand?" I questioned in hopes she was able to catch my meaning. She answered in a snort that I assumed was a yes.

"From now on, I will use claps to stand for your moves. As you learn more moves, I will add signals, though none of them will be more complicated than a clap or something similar."

Another snort told me to keep continuing. "So, one clap for Ember. Two for Quick Attack. One whistle for Double Kick and two for Flame Wheel. Once you are ready, we will work on getting used to these signals. Then we do move combos."

Shimmer rose as to show she had rested enough and gave her a smiling nod.

We spent the next few hours, making sure she understood my commands. I changed up the speed and proximity to throw her off. At first, she stumbled trying to follow my orders, but after the first hour, she had little issue interpreting my orders.

I looked up into the sky and saw the had risen to its zenith. I reckoned this was an optimal time for everyone to take a break.

"Okay Shimmer lets break for lunch. Can you go grab the others while I go prepare it?" I asked. A weak neigh answered me as Shimmer walked away. It turns out a few hours of straight training could even wear out Shimmer.

I smirked at her and went to our camp to begin the lunch preparations.

xxx

It took awhile for my Pokémon to return. Crum was with earshot and was reluctant to leave the water until I called out to him. He looked annoyed by his progress as the pond's surface looked like it was in a storm. Control is hard to learn, but I knew Crum would get it. He hadn't quite perfected it as a Machop, but he wasn't that far at the time.

Pan slowly came after. Dust coated her as she fell against Crum. I craned my neck up to get a better look at Pan's training field. My eyes shot wide as I saw what a grassy field was once was now a craggy waste. I quickly placed a bowl of water in front of the Sand Mouse, who promptly lapped it up.

Shimmer returned before Blink. I raised an eyebrow to question why. She tossed her head behind her. Dragging himself from the tree line was Blink.

I rolled my eyes. I should have known he would overwork himself. Rarely had I met a Pokémon so dedicated to getting stronger.

"Crum could you finish preparing lunch. I'll go grab him," I said as I rose to pick up Blink. Crum nodded as he began to set the food bowls.

He didn't make much ground from the trees before I came up to him. He looked up with a harsh glare. "Don't give me that. You are the one that worked yourself into the ground. I want you stronger, not dead."

I picked him up as he complained with soft mewls. "Oh, shut up. If you work like this without supervision, that means I can't let you go off alone." He quieted down with that threat.

"That's what I thought. You are done training today. You get to sit with me as I train Shimmer," I ordered at him while he groaned in my arms. "Tomorrow, I expect you to show restraint. Otherwise, I'll have to carry you everywhere, or I could have Crum watch you," I teased.

Blink hissed halfheartedly at me, but he realized he didn't have much choice but to listen to me. I placed him in front of his bowl at the camp while I fished out a ration bar for myself.

The bar tasted vaguely of chicken and sawdust. Full of all the nutrients I needed with none of the flavors. I chomped down as I examined our surroundings. When we arrived yesterday, there were several local Pokémon, but all our commotion had scared them off. Now a quiet hung in the air interrupted only by the munching coming from my Pokémon.

It was relaxing just being with them. As if no other world except this small one with just us was all that existed. A small smile rose on my face as I looked at my Pokémon. Then that smile fell as I remembered that this world wasn't mine. I didn't belong here and that I would have to give up these moments one day. I hated, but I couldn't be without my family any longer. The world of Pokémon was a dream actualized, but, my reality I had realized was far sweeter.

xxx

After lunch, we separated again and went back to our separate areas apart from Blink whom I forced to follow Shimmer and me. The three of us returned to the slightly charred field. The rest of today would be focused on getting Shimmers combo moves.

"All right Blink stay here. If you move you get to stay with Crum who's training in the pond," I warned the troublesome kitten. He huffed in annoyance, but my threat was enough to make him lay beside me. After making sure, he wasn't going anywhere I turned to face Shimmer.

"Thanks for being patient girl. You ready for the fun stuff?" I grinned at the aflame horse. Shimmer reared up in approval. I laughed out loud while Blink audibly pouted from the ground. I nudged him with my foot and rolled my eyes at him.

"Most of your physical moves mix well together. Ember with Quick Attack is essentially Flame Wheel, so it's a bit redundant. Ember will be a better suited as an opening salvo or distraction," I instructed. I felt both Shimmer and Blinks eyes on me. This was my realm, guiding the battles both before and during combat. They were my soldiers and me their General.

Continuing our strategy session, I expatiated on the topic. "Flame Wheel in conjunction with Double Kick or Quick Attack can make lesser forms of Blaze Kick and Flame Charge. To hide these from our opponents, we will give them codenames like Pan has."

A whinny told me she approved. "Excellent. The Double Kick variant will be Double Wheel. Quick Flame will be the other. Quick Flame will be simple in concept. Conjure up Flame Wheel while in Quick Attack. The trouble will be Double Wheel." Shimmer looked quizzically at me.

"To use it as effectively as I think it can be, you will need to focus Flame Wheel within your rear hooves. The concentration you will need to do is hard enough without being in a battle situation," I clarified. Shimmer nodded in understanding.

"For the rest of today, we will work Quick Flame. If you can get it to an acceptable level, we will move on to Double Wheel." Shimmer snorted and began to head into her training.

It didn't go that well. She struggled to pull up Flame Wheel while in Quick attack. She either couldn't keep the fire up or the speed. I would advise as we went, but there only so much I could say. Ultimately it was up to her to do.

We went back to camp once the night was in place. Shimmer hung her head in disappointment, which disturbed me. I had never seen her be anything other than jubilant. "Hey, Shim. It's okay. If it were easy to do, you wouldn't need me."

Shimmer rubbed against me for comfort, but she still hung her head low. I didn't know what to do. I thought she would struggle with Double Wheel, not Quick Flame. Simple but sophisticated, I guess.

Dinner was a quiet affair as the others caught onto the atmosphere. Crum was respectfully silent while Pan was more empathically so. Blink was the more surprising reaction. His silence was contemplative, and the knitting of his brow confirmed this.

Eventually, we went to sleep. It was earlier than usual as exhaustion caught up to my team. In the middle of the night, however, I was woken up by flashes of light. I rose up and saw electricity arcing in the night.

Anger rose up in me as I figured Blink was so blatantly disobeying me. I left the camp quietly so as not disturb the others. As I got closer and got close enough to see the Shinx, I saw electricity become replace by fire.

I stopped and crouched down so as not to be seen. I was surprised by seeing not just Blink but Shimmer practicing. Blink wasn't training; he was teaching her.

Blink would go into Charge and run forward. Very quickly, he would drop it and face Shimmer. After watching Shimmer would try to copy him with Quick Flame. While not as effective as Blink was, she still improved exponentially compared to earlier.

I smiled as my Pokémon worked together. I sneaked back to camp and went back to sleep. Pride filled me as thought about how they had come together. Didn't stop me from running them just as hard in the morning.

xxx

By the end of the second day, Shimmer had achieved Quick Flame. She danced about once she finally did it. At dinner, a far happier Blink, who had been allowed to train again, had his mood ruined as Shimmer showered him with kisses. He complained and batted her away. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him hide a pleased smile.

Shimmer struggled with Double Wheel as I predicted, but unlike her previous failure, she seemed more determined to succeed. I congratulated her on our final solo day. I told her to continue practicing once I went to the others. She answered by trying to eat my hair again. I assumed that meant yes.

On Blink's first day he stood proudly among the trees. I stood in front of him with crossed arms. I assumed he had accomplished his task in completing Charge Mode. Charge Mode had been a long time cunning. Luxray while fast was not the quickest thing in the world. They were ambush predators. With Charge Mode Blink could become the fastest of his species.

"Well go on. You seem pretty sure of yourself," I spoke with an amused smirk. Blink hadn't completed Charge Mode. He had perfected it.

Without even needing a run to build up his electricity, he became a black and yellow blur that weaved through the trees. He turned and pivoted through the forest floors. Then to my surprise, the blur rose and began to jump from tree to tree like a pinball.

After ten minutes of showing off, he landed in front of me in as a heaving mess. Even with his heavy panting, he wore a victorious smirk.

I picked him and raised him with an exclaim "That was amazing, Blink! I couldn't have asked for better. I've never been prouder of you." Usually, Blink would be against be grabbing him as I did, but he was happy to take the praise over being prickly.

"All right I promised you an evolution if finished Charge Mode. I believe its time I honor my part of the deal. Rest up because we are going to battle every wild Pokémon out in these woods." He answered me with a hungry grin.

While he rested, I conveyed to the others. For the next three days, Blink, and I would be going deeper into the woods to battle to the point which he evolved. I left Crum in Charge with enough food to last for our departure. Not that any of my Pokémon needed it. They all could hunt and graze quite well.

The next three days consisted of Blink and I traveling the woods attacking any Pokémon we could. Our problem was that the local wildlife was far below Blink in strength. I had never figured out if evolution was based off experience like the games or emotion like the anime.

Crum technically fit both, and I had read articles defending both. Many Pokémon scientists took one side or another on the experience vs. emotion issue. Years ago, when I asked Sam, he simply shrugged and said, " _I dunno_." Truly the greatest mind of his time.

Blink and I greatly enjoyed the alone time. We were very similar in personality as well as experiencing living off the land. I surprised him with how capable I was with both striking Pidgey out of the air with stones and cleaning them. While never much a hunter in either life, a good ole country boy still had some knowledge of living outside of society.

By midday of the third day of his personal training Blink was increasingly agitated at not evolving. He was showing all the signs of a Shinx evolving. The ability to produce electricity without kinetic powering of his paws. Growth of a small mane along with higher muscle mass. All Shinx needed was the actual evolution to finish the transformation.

I frowned as I checked the time. We would need to head back soon, and Blinks unease showed he knew this. I was disappointed because I had wanted to keep my promise. This was outside of my control, in any case.

My inner reflection was interrupted by Blink bounding up a tree to Spark a Pidgey. He lounged in the branch while he chowed on the bird. I shook my head at him. Id let him finish his lunch before breaking the bad news.

Before he could take another bite, a screech filled the forest. We both quickly looked up to see a Pidgeot charge at Blink. A Pidgeot was far beyond Blink despite the type advantage.

"Blink down. We need to run," I ordered with fear. Blink snarled in defiance and activated Charge Mode. Like a bullet, he launched at the Pidgeot. He sank his fangs into its neck. The Pidgeot cried out in pain as Blink held onto its throat.

Like a flying rodeo bull, the giant bird tried to shake off the electric lion. Blink held on, but he was losing his Charge. I looked on in horror as Blink began to lose hold and the Pidgeot began to rise higher.

As the electricity dissipated a bright light illuminated the forest. I cheered as Blink finally evolved into a Luxio.

With the sudden increase in weight, the Pidgeot fell to the ground. With brutalist intensity, the newly formed Luxio tore out the Pidgeots throat. With a gurgle, the Pidgeot lost the light in its eyes as Blink stood triumphantly above it.

He stared back with a smug pride at me as he placed his paw on the bird's head. I rolled my eyes as I called back at him, "Yea yea. I shouldn't have doubted you. As a reward for disobeying me, you can carry your kill back." He huffed but proudly picked up the Pidgeot and followed behind me back to camp.

xxx

Blink and I came back to the main camp with cheers and congratulations. The girls crowded Blink and fawned over him. The usually antisocial cat absorbed the attention with smug satisfaction. Crum even gave him a congratulatory pat on the back, though judging by the buckling of Blink's legs Crum may have put a little more force into it than needed.

I asked Crum if anything had come up. He shook his head and then withdrew into himself. I took this as evidence that he was still struggling in his training.

I could only hope he progress more in the three days he had left. I needed to focus on Pan now.

Crum was a good taskmaster based off the ease the Pokémon, that remained behind Blink and me, ran their laps. Blink struggled a bit since he lucked out in getting a few days off, but his new physiology carried him through.

Shimmer and Crum were told to continue their previous regiments. Blink was advised to use the next three days to get used to his new body. He was by no means to use Charge Mode. So of course, he would overuse it to the point he collapsed again. He didn't appreciate my keeping my threat of throwing him into the pond with Crum the next day.

Pan had already had similar training to what I had done with Shimmer in preparation for Surge. Unlike Shimmer, I hadn't been as strict or demanding with the Sandshrew since time was short. She was fantastic in making what little time we had as efficient as possible.

Now I was making sure Whack a Mole and Pseudo Roll were as clean as possible. Pan had done well in doing precisely this. Her Dig was faster than before. Her Poison Sting more rapid and accurate. Rollout was a little shaky above ground, but from what I could observe, her tunneling system mitigated the issue.

I rarely planned to have Pan above ground. She was not fast enough on the surface to be a threat. She would always be a hit and run tactic fighter. Even when I could use a TM to teach her Earthquake, she would come up short against most other high-level Pokémon.

If we couldn't beat our enemies with outright strength, we would outthink them.

Now Magnitude was another issue. I had hoped to train Pan to the point which she could control the quakes so to use the larger possible Magnitude at will.

However, I had to accept defeat on this. This move was simply the way it was. Some moves were so volatile that they couldn't be modified. This was why Earthquake the superior move. It was essentially why some Pokemon learned to control the Magnitude more finely. Sadly, the Sandshrew line didn't learn Earthquake naturally.

Pan was not a big focus on this trip, so I was happy with what we accomplished. On her second day, we spent time learning my new signaling system. Unlike Shimmer and Blink, whom I taught on our sojourn in the woods, I also add stomps for when she was in the ground. Since she couldn't always hear my claps, I substituted stomps for the usual signals. I wanted her to know still my standard signs in case she was unable to Dig. It was not possible to do inside of a building.

If Pan was saddened by the fact I wasn't as in depth with her as the others, she didn't show. That was what I liked about her. Crum would sulk. Shimmer would go off the rails. Blink would do both. While Pan just was; which was why she was my favorite. Not that I'd ever admitted it.

When I finished Pans third day, and we went back to camp for dinner Crum refused to come in. I was a bit perturbed by this, but he seemed adamant on continuing to train. While contradictory to what I did with Blink, I had more trust in my partner to not overwork himself. At least to his detriment.

While the rest of us slept, he continued to push himself. When we woke up, he was ready to begin the morning warmup. He stayed up the entire night but still set the pace for the others during their laps.

Once they finished and we separated I stood quietly at the water's edge. I kept a cool gaze on Crum. He knew that if he couldn't reach my expectations that the training trip would be cut short. If he couldn't control his power, then there would be no point on working techniques. If he didn't get it now, it was over.

Calm radiated from him as he stepped into the water. He only went waist deep and took a stance. He held up a fist and released a breath.

Faster than even Blinks Charge he released the punch. At first, I thought he was showcasing his control, but then a rush wind blew me back.

In almost slow motion the pond was split down the middle. The water didn't rise higher than the previous waterline but still was held up as if by a string. I clenched my fists in excitement.

Crum hadn't just learned to control his strength and maximize it, but he had combined them in a matter I didn't think possible for a newly evolved Machoke. He faced me again with more exhaustion from that single punch than anything I had put him through.

Finally, everything caught up to him as he collapsed on the bank. I sighed as I waded in to make sure he didn't drown. He would probably lose a day, but he had proved something to me today. Whatever I gave him, he would surpass it.

Crum was easy to train. Well, not easy more impossible. He had surpassed my knowledge of how to teach him. Fighting-types needed masters. Sometimes they were another Pokémon. Sometimes it was a human. All I had was a mix match of techniques from the real world that he could use, but I never had proper training. I might know a flying knee was effective, but that didn't mean I knew how to utilize it properly. While I wasn't capable of such techniques, Crum had an instinctual skill to take the most basic instruction and break it down.

He now had my entire repertoire in memory. Embarrassingly he had far greater ease with using than I ever did. His Pokémon techniques also didn't broker much for combinations. One move could lead to another, but he did so naturally I hardly needed to give any input.

This quickly became apparent to both of us. So instead of training, I would bounce strategy and plans off Crum while he engaged in katas and exercises. Some of my make and others his. We spent most of the days doing this.

I think in the long run this was better. It was a return to normalcy. We would tease and pick at each other. We would have a one-sided conversation that mostly filled the silence instead of having anything of worth being said. Every night we retired though our happiness was evident to the others.

Shimmer was always the empath and became more energized for it. Pan cuddled into Crum who stroked behind the ears. Whatever their relationship was, the two were incredibly close. Blink did his best to act disgusted, but as always it was merely an act.

By the time we reached our final night, I felt we were closer than ever before. I almost didn't want to leave, but we needed to go towards Cerulean and our future. So to reward them, I pulled out the bacon and veggies I had hidden away for a successful trip. My backpack was designed to hide scents from wild Pokemon so unless they shoved their noses into it like Shimmer did, so it was a surprise to my Pokemon. We stayed up late carousing about as I told stories about Crum as a grumpy Lab Pokemon. The others tittered while the Machoke smiled good-naturedly. He got the last laugh, however, when he responded with stories about me. Judging off their reactions, they found them far funnier than mine. One by one they fell asleep until it was only Crum and me staring at the stars.

We had done this before back at the Oak Ranch. Whenever we had an observation to do at night, we would always look back up at the stars. The stars were still beautiful, but the constellations were wrong. It was one of those things that didn't match the real world. My melancholy mood would seep into Crum, and we would sit in silence.

Now, there wasn't any sadness. I was happy while we looked up at a now familiar sky. I had my Pokemon. We had a plan and were all joined in its success. Crum patted me on the shoulder and shuffled off to bed.

I stayed a little longer. Eventually, I got tired of trying to match pictures to constellations i couldn't remember to the night sky. When i turned to go to bed, I saw a heartwarming sight. Crum was sleeping in a crosslegged position that he adopted as of late. Curled in his lap was unsurprisingly Pan. My surprise was seeing Blink curled into Shimmer. The embers of the fire had died down and to find warmth the big cat had cuddled into the walking warming pad. In the morning, and I expected he would act as it had never happened.

I settled into my sleeping bag and let sleep take me. Tomorrow we began anew.


End file.
